A Taste of Freedom
by Rin Fang
Summary: The prologue to FOP; what Cosmo and Wanda went through before becoming Timmy's godparents. Takes a look at Fairyworld's culture and history... even the origin of the fairies themselves! It's not what you expect... Mainly CxW stuff.
1. Chapter 1

A Taste of Freedom

By Rin Fang

Hey! Now that I have this shiny new computer, I can upload this! "Freedom" is pretty much the story that gave way to "Lucky Eyes". No, you don't have to read "Eyes". Well, FOP ain't mine, and I'm sure it never will be. Also, the religion of Fayanism has nothing to do with my beliefs. This is solely a work of fiction, and should be enjoyed as it is. So let's get on with the story. Welcome, all… welcome to Fairyworld.

Chapter 1

The air was crisp and dark, capturing the frigid air on top of the snowy mountain. The only light that came from the blessed stillness was from the campfires and lanterns lit in a neat star shape. Several small forms bustled about, pale white robes and expressionless masks giving off a ghostly glow in the moonlight. They seemed to be dancing, but their small, stubby legs allowed limited movement. The creatures were singing in a language new and unheard, but among the frenzied drum beats and euphoric plucks from the tone gourds, their high-pitched voices melded in to one verse: "_Ly chim Fayotosai zhorra zho Minwe zha Faya I nore ryim!—_oh, angels, descend and renew the love between these two fairies!" Indeed, the creatures—the fairies—were out of tune, but the young couple in the middle seemed thoroughly engaged in the bizarre ceremony. For Hanikonorii, the Night of Renewing Vows, was the only festival still legal since the Revolution.

The couple was the only ones showing their wide-eyed faces, but they were still half-covered in a sweeping blanket sown of lotus petals. The monk presiding over them poured a small amount of rosehip oil over their heads, and rubbed it on the female, a plump-faced, plain sort of fairy with thick pink hair and kind pink eyes first.

"State your name," he chanted in the ancient language of the fairies, Souiyang.

"Wanda Samhouri," she answered. She was a terrible singer, and she blushed.

The monk ignored her and continued. "State your Fayan name and title!" he boomed.

Wanda grimaced; fairies had two names—English ones they went by, and Souiyang birth ones that they kept private except for religious ceremonies. "Samhouri Wandahaunekarsulaadorne, the White Wolf of Karensula," she replied at last.

Her husband cracked up, ruining the mesmerizing effect. "Wow, Wanda, your parents sure know how to name a kid!" he sniggered in his high, moony voice.

Wanda scowled and elbowed him. The monk, trying to hide his laughter, cleared his throat and sang: "And you, Wandahaunekarsulaadorne promise to renew your marriage?"

"Yes," she hissed in bad Souiyang, mildly piqued at her husband.

The monk turned to her husband, and repeated the ceremony.

"My name is Cosmo Samhouri," he grinned, tossing his green hair. "My Fayan name is Samhouri Cozuliyanaro, the Lion Rider of Iyana."

"And you, Cozuliyanaro, promise to renew your marriage?"

"You bet!" he grinned, and the surrounding dancers lost their tempo to giggle.

"Then go and love in the name of the Lord!" sang the monk. Cosmo and Wanda donned their masks and joined the crowd just as another happy couple of fairies came dancing out.

The best thing about Hanikonorii, or so Cosmo claimed, was the carnival that came afterwards. Vendors had set up little wood stalls, hosting games, selling beautiful cotton robes, cooking steaming, delicious dumplings for free. Each fairy had to set up a stand for the festivities, and so Cosmo and Wanda performed, Cosmo wildly beating on huge yakskin drums and Wanda dancing. Cosmo gave a few traditional battle cries, and with a resounding DOM!—ended the song. Wanda's arms dropped gracefully, forming an arc behind her back, the lovely cotton folds of her red and black dress rustling, then falling still.

Applause. Small gifts were thrown out to them, and Cosmo and Wanda accepted them with large smiles and nods.

"I'm so happy Hanikonorii hasn't been outlawed yet!" laughed one, wolf-whistling at Wanda. Cosmo playfully chased him off with a huge meat cleaver (fairies took violence lightly), and kissed her on the nose.

"Yeah," he said to the wolf-whistler, wiping sweat off his brow with his drumstick and grinning. "Then again, why would the government outlaw our only chance to return to Fayotozhia every year?"

The surrounding Fayans nodded sadly. One went so far as to look over the edge of the mountain, where the ski resort—the one that the humans had set up, pushing the poor fairies off of THEIR mountain—stood, desolate and abandoned. Another saluted to their beautiful temple, discovered last month and stripped of their art and treasure and precious items.

See here, now that humans were overpopulating the Earth, the fairies had to give up their beloved mountains and retreat to the skies, weaving a web of magic and living on it, affectionately nicknaming it Fairyworld. But it would never be Fayotozhia—the Mountain of the Fairies. But hey, they couldn't expose themselves to the world. Especially not to humans.

"True," said another. The scent of beer was heavy on his breath. Giving a mocking laugh, he unfolded his gossamer wings and twirled in the sky. "At least the government is sparing some of our culture! They've even turned Godparenting—our sacred art—commercial!"

"Hush!" whispered a woman. "The police might hear you!"

"Who cares about the police? Those murderers?"

"Murderers?" interjected Cosmo, eyes growing large.

"Shut up…" mumbled Wanda frantically, looking all around.

"They kill our invalids, assign us to jobs… we can't even have children! I say we should burn the capital building! Burn it!"

"No…"

But it was too late. With her darting vision, Wanda caught sight of a random fay, slipping a taser gun out of his robe pocket. A few others copied him, and suddenly it was chaos, festivity gone.

The fairies screamed and flew about, scratching at each other, desperately trying to get away from the Secret Police that had heard their conversations. Sparks crackled from the tasers, catching innocents in their sides. Their wings folded, and giving frightened shrieks, they crumpled to the ground, piling up in heaps.

"That's what you get for disobeying us!" cried one, a woman with braided white hair and crazed absinthe eyes.

Wanda pushed at a confused man, but it was no use. She was getting trampled… wings torn… where was Cosmo? Struggling to stay awake, she kicked a confused assaulter away, just to see his limp body not many yards off.

A man was kicking him, sending great globs of his blood splattering everywhere. Cosmo was still; suddenly, all was silence.

But that was because Wanda was no longer awake, too.

Before she passed totally into oblivion, she thought about poor Cosmo, and the injustice done to their one special night.

**Confused? I know; you'll make more sense out of it come future chapters. Please review and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cosmo blinked. Where was he? His sides were on fire, and he could briefly make out the whisperings of others around him. Feeling his stomach rise and fall, Cosmo opened his eyes just long enough to squint at the blaring light seething into him. The poisonous scent of antiseptic tingled his nose, and coughing, let his vision adjust.

"He's coming to!"

Cosmo painfully turned his head to see who had spoken. A fairy nurse, chubby and dressed in blue, floated over his head, smiling reassuringly and bearing a cup of orange juice. "You gave us quite a shock there, mister," he grinned, pushing a button on the fold-up hospital bed. There was a rrrrr-ing noise, and Cosmo felt his guts crunch together as it folded into a sitting position. "You were out for three days. Hot wands, you took the worst beating of all at the Hanikonorii attack!"

Hanikonorii…? Oh, that's right. He had nearly been killed. "Where am I?" he slurred, shakily accepting the orange juice and taking a polite sip.

"Fairyworld, Mister Samhouri. How's your head?"

Cosmo stared at him from beyond the bandages swathing his face.

"Sorry… rhetorical question."

Cosmo set the glass down between his legs, staring at the ochre liquid sloshing around citrine ice cubes. Straining his sight, he observed every last detail of the drink, and came up with these thoughts: What? No pulp?

Apparently, the word 'pulp' flicked on a little switch in his simplistic brain, and he suddenly remembered what he was worrying about. "Where's Wanda?" he asked.

The nurse laughed good-naturedly, encouraging Cosmo to drink just a little bit more. "Your wife is fine. She's in the waiting room now! You're lucky to have such a woman as her—she camped out here while you were unconscious!"

"Oh, cool," said Cosmo with a light nod. "Can I see her?"

"Of course! Here, let me change your IV, and I'll bring her right in!" Cosmo winced while he fooled with the equipment, then the nurse, using his fairy's wand to "poof" himself out of the room, and was gone.

Cosmo slumped back down, eyes dancing with the sloshing patterns of the drink. It was fascinating—he was so transfixed that Wanda's arrival didn't even register with him for a few moments.

Wanda gave a wave, and tugged her un-kept, sorry self to where Cosmo sat, weary and dejected. Her voice was a grackle squawk as she touched his matted, green hair, yawning and rubbing the sand from her eyes.

"Did you have a good night, Sleeping Beauty?" she asked, sneer tugging at the corner of her lips.

Cosmo stuck his tongue out at her and gave her the thumbs' up. "Can't say so much for a comfortable one," he giggled.

Wanda relaxed. So the taser-gun hadn't addled him up too much, after all. But then again… Cosmo was always addled.

"How's life on the outside?" Cosmo turned around, but when he saw that his hospital gown was the sort of garment that tied loosely in the back and showed his boxers, he flopped back into default position.

Wanda grimaced and reached into her pocket, pulling out a newspaper clipping she had saved.

"What's this?" Wanda handed it to him, and Cosmo skimmed it over, brow darkening. "What? They outlawed Hanikonorii?"

"Read on."

Cosmo got to the last sentence and gasped. "They're banning religion?"

"The government's trying to break us, hun. That was from two nights ago. Look at today's headline."

Wanda took out another article, and this time read it aloud:

"On the fifteenth of May, at twenty-one hundred hours and fifteen minutes, the Fairyworld Supreme Council met and discussed the tragedy of Hanikonorii. Together, they have decided that the outside world is a bad influence of the people. They passed the bill 'Operation Good Day', which states that due one week's time, the borders to Fairyworld will be CLOSED permanently. Under no circumstances may a fairy leave or enter the country. This also means that all citizens must revoke their wands, pull out of Godparenting, and relinquish their wings and all forms of entertainment from the outside world. Those who refuse to comply will duly meet their Cancellation, no exceptions. Otherwise, life will go on as normal."

Cosmo shrieked. "And that's all they wrote?" he snarled, sending his orange juice smashing to the ground.

Wanda nodded.

"But what about Katerina?" Cosmo clenched his fists, remembering their young fairy godchild, the girl with leukemia.

Wanda re-read a sentence and raised her eyebrows at Cosmo. "They're outlawing Godparenting."

"What…? But they can't do that…!"

"Yes, they can. Cosmo, are you aware of what kind of government we're under?"

"Yeah, we're under the Supreme Council, formed fifty years ago…"

Wanda shook her head. "Euphemisms, Cosmo."

"Euphemism…?"

Wanda forced a lame smile. "Sorry, sweetie. I know it's a big word. Have you ever heard of Communism?"

Cosmo shrugged. "What's that?"

"Well, how do I explain this…? Remember in the 1960s when we were the Godparents of that little boy in the Soviet Union? Fairyworld's sort of like that."

"You mean… we're under Stalin?"

Wanda couldn't help sniggering. "Um, no. Stalin died a while back. But we're under the same sort of system."

"But we're fairies! Why are we under that?"

Wanda sat down and petted his cheek. "You know how I used to work under the king? Well, I get information. There was once this woman, low rank, you know, under the fake name of 'Packleader Indigo' who worked as Fairyworld's head geneticist."

"Aren't you a geneticist?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. "I WAS. I quit my job… Well, anyway, she created these fairy-wolf hybrids, called the ASALUM—Association of Sagacious Arcane Liaisons United in Management—our Secret Police. She didn't like the king. So… she used the ASALUM to kill him and take over the country, re-creating the government. She didn't mean for it to turn Communist… but people get bad ideas. Fairies, too."

Cosmo's eyes widened with fascination. "Wow! This chick was some bold stuff! Where is she now?"

Wanda shrugged. "I dunno. She just disappeared. And you know what else? She never showed her face once."

Cosmo returned his attention to the newspaper clippings. "What'll we do?"

Wanda leaned in to his face, way close, and whispered: "I've hired an agent to smuggle us out of this country. I have a friend in a remote area on Earth… we'll never be found there."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for reviewing! Okay, so I'm gonna warn you right now—there are OCs. The horror. Well, most of 'em are villains, anyway, and there are no OC-pairings, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Whatever. Let's get on with it.**

Chapter 3

Wanda tapped the edge of her armoire, running her tiny fingers through the oak crevices and twisting knots that punctured the tarnished wood. It towered at least five feet above, magnificent and outreaching its arms to her. The high wardrobe was old—her most prized possession, taken from the sacred temple, the one taken apart by humans on the peak of Fayotozhia. Squinting, she made out the Souiyang rune etched across the frame: _Ya Sor li Faya lo nim'o-kya_—Be brave, fairies.

Although she struggled with reading the alphabet, she took a notepad and jotted the phrase down. She would definitely need bravery tonight. But not the armoire. It was too big to fit in her pocket.

If the ASALUM didn't catch her, death by bundled-up clothes certainly would. Wanda was dressed head to toe in various scarves, sweaters, and jeans, with only her flashing eyes exposed in the end. The only somewhat comfortably article she was wearing was her black-and-red cotton dancing dress/ The one that Cosmo told her to wear.

For a moron, that kid can sure make sense, thought Wanda, twirling the slightly chewed-up pen cap Cosmo had proposed to her with. She smiled. The Fayan custom was to present choice brides with small objects of affectionate worth—well, Cosmo had certainly loved that pen. Imagine his sacrifice! And now their little wedding would have to be forgotten, along with their wands and names. From now on, Wanda would be a human woman known as Karsula Hanadori, and Cosmo would be a plumber by the name of Jet.

Her dress rustled; Wanda wished that it would shut up. After all, if it was discovered, it would be burned. Along with the rest of their past.

"Cosmo!" called Wanda, words muffled by her scarf. "Are you ready?"

Wanda barely recognized the poor thing as he waddled in, rolled up snug as a bug in the sun with his flamboyant yellow snow suit.

"Did you pack the stuff?" she asked.

"Yep," chirped Cosmo brightly, "ten thousand dollars to our smuggler!"

"Hush!" warned Wanda. "The walls have ears!" To prove her point, Wanda picked up the government-planted recorder chip she had found in the wall that morning.

"Oh." Cosmo patted a wall, and whispered: "Could you keep a secret, walls?"

Wanda laughed good-naturedly, but only because her nerves were shot. This was why she loved him. Cosmo was so innocent!

"Well, you're ready and so am I. Let's go!"

Cosmo and Wanda exited through the back door of their small cottage, taking each shortcut available to get to the back-alley where they were to meet their savior, a short-tempered fairy who merely called himself Spark.

Wanda took Cosmo's hand, and crouching beneath a canopy of trash cans, found who they were looking for.

Spark was covered totally in a cloak, except for the keen green eyes that flashed out from under his hood. A wisp of pure white hair escaped to his shoulder, and he held out his hand to them, whispering in a grating voice: "Where's the cash?"

Cosmo gave a tight wad of bills to him. Spark rolled them a bit, grinned, and stuck them beneath his cloak.

"Awesome," he said.

Cosmo and Wanda flashed each other a look—since when did a fairy say "awesome"?

Whatever. The point was, they were getting out of this sorry excuse of a country.

"Where ya going?" asked Spark, playing with Wanda's hair. Cosmo glared at him, jealousy burning in his eyes.

"Well, we're thinking Colorado. Mountains, you know. But first we want to see Katerina."

"Katerina?" stated Spark casually.

"Our Godchild. She's sick with cancer, and we want to grant her just one more wish."

"Oh, fine then. But that'll cost you extra three grand. Gotta feed my mother, you know."

"Sure." Cosmo shrugged. "We won't need fairy money any more, anyway."

Spark's grinned widened, and he led them to a faulty spot in the magic web layering that supported Fairyworld. "We're gonna fly right through this. Got it?"

Husband and wife gulped. What? Fly through that? No magic?

"Can't use the normal passage."

Right… they couldn't just go waltzing down the rainbow path that led from Fairyworld to Earth. Especially now that it was being destroyed.

"Ready?" asked Spark. "Grab on to each other. It's gonna be a wild ride! Three… two… one… JUMP!"

Cosmo and Wanda shot straight up in the air. Making eye contact, they nodded to each other and span around, turning to the ground on a dime. In a thrilling burst of speed powerful enough to break the sound barrier, they pummeled down, two speeding bullets making contact. Wet lashed their faces as they plowed through the cloud, finally bursting through and spinning gracefuily to the ground.

"Check it!" cried Cosmo, pirouetting and writing "So long, suckas," with the contrail he left behind. His voice sounded all screwed up, like an electric toothbrush with its motor revved in reverse.

Wanda laughed, got a mouthful of wet, and raced him to the ground. Never had they had more fun—the adrenaline rush of flying! They doubted they could EVER be this fast! Finally stopping just ahead a snow-topped roof, the three stragglers clambered across the sides a little until they got to a slightly dusty window.

"Kat!" whispered Cosmo, knocking on it.

No reply.

"It's us, sweetie!"

Spark scowled. He had never had any Godchildren of his own; that art was a waste, pampering the humans who had taken so much from them.

Cosmo opened the window and crawled inside. "Kitty? Are you in there, sweetie?"

Nothing. Not even the littlest lock of hair was left on the dresser.

"Oh, Cosmo," whispered Wanda, "d'ya suppose that during Hanikonorii, she…?"

Spark twiddled his thumbs, placing a hand on Wanda's shoulder. Cosmo gasped. It wasn't… a fairy's hand. Quickly, it was morphing. Fur sprouted across the ugly, stretched paw. The thumb began to separate, it became bony, the nails stretched out and hardened until they were claws.

"Heh-heh," sneered Spark, dropping his hood. "You're Godchild is most certainly not coming back!"

Cosmo stumbled backward; a huge mistake. Out of the blue, three enormous wolves sprung out of the darkest reaches of the room and pinned him to the floor.

"What should we do with the invalid?" growled one, unmistakably female.

"Give it a tranquilizer, Fiona," instructed Spark. Except it wasn't Spark. Wanda knew exactly who it was… and it wasn't just the fairy that had attacked Cosmo, either.

"Hey, Wanda," he sneered. "Long time, no see, Doctor Samhouri! Remember me—I'm Nero!"

"Nero?" she choked. "Is that really you…?"

Huh…? One of the wolves holding Cosmo, one with coal-black fur that danced like fire, held a tranquilizer in her mouth, injecting him. Nero knew… Wan…?

Slipping away, he was washed over with a quiet sort of numbness. But not a calm one.

Nero knew… Wanda…?

Nero was totally morphed by now; his body outstretched and his snow-white fur tickled her nose. "I used to look up to you!" he cackled, slamming her against the wall. "I loved you, cousin! I admired your perseverance… Now look where you are! A lowly fairy Godparent, so stupid and insignificant she got duped by the ASALUM!"

"What do you want with us?" rasped Wanda, taking on a fighting stance.

"We have a job for you!" Nero easily shook off her attack, sending her flying into the wall. Wanda's wings crunched, and a dizzying pain filled her head. "Prototype, eh?" he tsked.

"Unnhh…"

"Oh, and as for your husband…" Nero twisted her arm clean out of its socket, lying his massive paw on her chest. "Guess what? He's getting Cancelled!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rrr! I am so tired of trolls! Sorry I haven't been updating… Meh. Let's get on with it. Special thanks to CursedRoses for reviewing so much! And for further reference, Ras Renegine was originally named Rin Renegine (I created her before my pen name. She actually is named Rin Renegine in Lucky Eyes). I just didn't want this fic to sound too "self-insert-y", that's all.**

Chapter 4

"How is number 1055210 doing?"

"Waking up. Lordy, Fiona, did you have to give him such a huge dose?"

"I'm sorry… I've never seen a fairy go under for so long in my life."

"Yell in his ear."

"No… Fenn, let's just Cancel him here. While he's asleep, so he doesn't feel any pain."

"Silly Miasma. The fairy needs to be awake in order for the drug to work."

"Lies! Nero, why are you suggesting that…?"

The highest-ranking officers of the ASALUM presided above Cosmo's semi-conscious body, prodding him as he twitched atop the surgical table he had been strapped down to. They were arranged in a neat little pattern, youngest to oldest, one male and several females.

Nero drummed his fingers on Cosmo's skull, picking his teeth and running it through his snowy hair. The girl next to him, the one who had injected Cosmo, with stringy cyan hair that drooped all the way to her waist, grimaced in disgust.

"Nero, you hog!"

"Oh, yes. Fiona, since when do wolves act properly?"

Fiona shrugged, just as the Director of ASALUM Operations, Miasma, clacked up to them and glared, maroon eyes boring into their souls. "When will Cosmo Samhouri wake up, Fiona? You're the Head of Scientific Technology."

"So true," breathed Fiona, removing the oxygen mask that covered Cosmo's innocent face.

Nero gave somewhat of a whoop, slapping Cosmo in the process. Cosmo flinched in faint registration of pain, causing Nero to laugh even harder. "Did you see that?" he giggled. "Fairy number 1055210 is just faking it! I'll set him straight!" Nero slapped him, hard, so that Cosmo's eyes snapped open.

"Where am I…?" he mumbled. It was dark all around; he couldn't even make out the faces of his captors.

"Nero! Stop it!" Nero's older sister and senior officer, Fenn, swatted him away. She undid Cosmo's arm straps, allowing him to sit up and rub his wrists.

"Good day, Number 1055210," said Miasma, offering him a drink. Cosmo was too parched to investigate; he downed it in one sip, coughing at the bitter coffee.

"My name's Cosmo," he replied, setting her straight.

Miasma shook her head, gritting her teeth. "Actually, every citizen of Fairyworld has a number ID. It's how we keep track of population… and we're going to have to cross 1055210 off our list."

Huh?

"What do you mean?"

"Cosmo," explained Fenn. "'Cancel' is a euphemism for 'kill'. You're invalid. Stupid, and progressively losing intelligence. We've studied you throughout the years, and let us say, we're not pleased with how you've turned out. See here, if we keep you alive any longer, you'll hold down our great country."

"Isn't it better to die nobly than hurt us all?" breathed Nero, getting right in Cosmo's face and flashing him an ornery grin.

"I… um…"

"Well, little buddy. You don't have a choice. You're coming with me for a quick and easy death. That is, if you don't annoy me. Fiona, his straps."

Fiona undid the last few restraints. Cosmo staggered to his feet, wobbling and trembling like a colt walking for the first time. Nero clapped an arm around his shoulder, and led him off.

XXX

Wanda threw herself against the wall of her cell, pounding on the walls and screaming for help. "Cosmo," she whimpered to herself. She knew the meaning of "Cancel", and she feared for him.

In seven hells! How could she be back HERE? How could she be trapped in a stiff little prison at the back of the Fairyworld Institute of Improvement?

Oh, yes, she knew about this place. One of the biggest interests among fairies was genetics—as much as they enjoyed magic, they loved playing God even more. Wanda and her sister had been born back at the Fayotozhia institute, without knowledge of their real parents, being treated like guinea pigs until they were adopted by a loose-cannon simply known as "Big Daddy".

Wanda backed up. The gentle rustling of fairies' wings made the hair on her arms stand on edge. She backed up into a dark corner as two fays came 'round the bend.

"Number 1055203?" asked a female, navy-haired and fox-eyed. Wanda nodded, mortified. Who were these people? Did they know anything about Cosmo? Did they know why she was being held?

"My name is Ras Renegine," she continued, scanning Wanda warily. "Why didn't you tell us you served in the government, especially as a geneticist? That can reduce your prison sentence!"

"Uh… What do you need me for, anyway?"

Ras shook her head, dismissing Wanda with the flick of her hand. She unlocked the cell door, allowing Wanda to crawl out and stretch her legs a bit. Chewing a toothpick, Ras took a tape recorder out of her pocket and hit play. "_Fayan citizens_," began a low voice, easily female. "_I have sent you this voicemail in response to your actions regarding the monarchy…_"

"We're sorry for holding you here," said Ras half-wittedly. "You're not the person we're looking for. Voices didn't match. We just thought you were… because you were a geneticist… we thought you were Packleader Indigo."

Wanda twitched slightly.

"But you're going to prison," chimed in the other, male. He stepped into the light, twirling a pistol in his hand.

"Cosmo?"

He snorted. No, this wasn't Cosmo… his hair was too dark and his expression too smart. "I know green hair isn't that common," he sneered, "but I'm not your husband. The name's Ren. I'm Ras's assistant."

"Where is Cosmo?"

"Dead. He was executed ten minutes ago."

"No!"

"He had to go, Wanda. Would you like to see the body?"

"You… you…" Ren placed a weathered hand to her lips.

"Shut up," he murmured, slipping her what looked like a business card. "Keep your yap shut and keep this here card. It's the key to infiltrating the capital building. Keep it safe, Wanda, or you might get killed."

Wanda didn't understand, but she took the card and slipped it into her pocket. Ren, making sure Ras hadn't seen him, clapped his hands together, and in an extraordinary display of manually-done magic, teleported them off in a blanket of smoke.

XXX

"Hold still!"

"No!"

"Stop pissing me off!" Nero lunged at Cosmo for the umpteenth time, syringe glistening like a poisoned dagger.

Nero morphed slightly, allowing his genetically-engraved wolf DNA to show off his humongous fangs. "Damn you! Stay still!"

"You're pathetic, Nero."

Ren, Ras, and a rather sedated-looking Wanda had just arrived. Wanda waved at Cosmo hopefully.

"Shut it! I'm trying to kill this retard!"

"Persistent, aren't you?" Ren waltzed up to Cosmo and took his chin, tilting it up so they stared at each other.

Wow, thought Wanda, their resemblance IS uncanny.

"Have you proven he's a retard?"

"Yes…!"

"Cosmo," started Ren, eyes glazing thoughtfully. "How many faces are there on a cube?"

"Huh?"

Ren growled. "Work with me! Okay, okay, how about: if I'm taking apart a cardboard box, how many squares will be made after its unfolded?"

Cosmo made a whooshing noise with his tongue. "Oh! That's what you mean! Six, duh!"

Ren nodded in approval. "See? He's no retard. He just learns in a different way. If he's not a retard, there's no reason to Cancel him. Why don't you take these two off to prison?"

Nero glared murder at Ren, who only laughed and commanded him to tote them off to the Fairyworld Prison.

"What was that just now?" asked Cosmo.

Wanda shrugged. "You mean 'who was that'? I don't know, Cosmo, but I like him. He saved your life." Wanda gave a good-natured smile. "We'll get out of here, soon. I promise."

Yeah, promises, promises. But as far as Wanda was concerned, the only promise provided was that of a card, rustling demurely in her back pocket.

**So much for clarification. Everything will be explained… EVENTUALLY!**


	5. Chapter 5

**CursedRoses: No, that's okay. Just review and review and review, my little friend. Who doesn't **want** them?**

**Palkia: This isn't a very reliable site for Lucky Eyes. I'm actually, like, halfway through it. I'll be posting the web address in my profile soon if it strikes your fancy.**

**I'm drawing up my annoying OCs and putting them on Deviantart. If you'd like to see little Ren or Miasma or whoever, just look up rin-fang's gallery.**

Chapter 5

_"What are we going to do about him, Cosma?"_

_"I don't know, Clary… you're the scientist."_

_They're sitting in a dark room. Nothing's illuminated except for the operating table where a baby fairy is strapped down. It's a male; its pudgy body trembles as a big man comes down on his arm with a syringe, and the baby's crying, and the man slaps its face. The woman in the corner gasps and covers her face._

_"Clary… be kind to him!"_

_"Kindness is useless in a world of logic. Don't you want this child to be perfect?"_

_"Well… um… what drug are you giving him?"_

_"We believe this'll stimulate his brain cells. Trying to make him smarter."_

_"But his IQ is 240. Why would we want him any smarter?"_

_"Because… Cosma. I'm weary. Take the child home."_

_The woman unstraps the baby, listless green eyes and shedding green hair animated by its terrified shaking. "It's okay, little one. He won't hurt you. He's just going to make you smarter. You're the only hope Fayotozhia has if we wish to survive."_

_She wraps the kid up in a blanket and leaves. The big man, rolling his eyes, calls out to another woman at the end of the room, bearing two cat carriers._

_"Ras! Bring in Successes 1 and 2. I want to see 1 first, though. Wanda is turning out marvelously."_

Cosmo awoke with a start. Whimpering, he turned over and crawled to where Wanda slept, lying down beside her. Apparently, she sensed his trembling, as she awoke drowsily, stretched, and stared into the early morning sky.

"What?" she asked irritably, pursing her lips together. Wanda was aching all over; groggily, she shook the dirt from her newly short hair, stretched her stiff limbs, and crawled over to the nearest stream, working the grit from her mouth with the brackish water.

"I'm sorry," yawned Cosmo. "I don't feel so good."

"Is it cholera?" asked Wanda, pushing up her sunglasses. "This water isn't too good."

"It's nothing, I guess. I really miss home."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "I don't. Why would you want to return to a place with no culture, no fun, no godparenting, and where you can get killed on the turn of a dime? Aren't you happy that Ren smuggled us out of prison? Aren't you happy that we're going to be living in freaking… Mexico where we'll never be found? Don't you like your cool new look?"

Cosmo ran his fingers through his dyed red and black hair. "I'm not much of a red person," he confessed wryly. "And your hair does look nice all silver and short like that, but… it's just wrong for two fairies to wear brown."

"It's leather." Ren had just awoken, prim and peppy as always. "Nice leather. Hey, Cosmo, what's with the nose stud?"

Cosmo sniffed, gold nose piercing glinting in the sunlight. "It was YOUR big idea."

"You're lucky," reassured Wanda, taking off her jacket to reveal a tight black miniskirt and skimpy shrug that showed off her freshly tattooed belly. "Yeah, um, Ren, why do I have to look like a gang-banger's chica?"

Ren smirked mischievously. "Just 'cuz," was all he answered. "Hey, at least now that you two look like Mafiosi, you'll never be recognized. Ain't I brilliant?"

"But do I have to have a nose ring…?"

"Great. Now that I have the gear, just gimme a feather boa and a pair of fishnet stockings and I can make it big in Las Vegas."

"Fishnet stockings," smirked Ren, "not a bad idea. Well, we're all alone in the Sierra Madres, about ten miles away from the American border. What would you like for breakfast, my posse? Grilled lizard, sautéed buzzard eggs, dried ants?"

"I'll starve," huffed Wanda.

"Suit yourself. So, Wands, this friend of yours… he lives in Cancun?"

"Yep. Don't call me that. He broke away from the union once Fayotozhia died."

"Sounds like a good guy."

"Uh… Let's just say—he's VERY bold for a fairy."

Ren giggled, and shouldered his supply pack. "Oh, Wanda, you're so cute. Makes me glad I'm going out of my valuable time for you, cutie."

"But won't you get arrested?" asked Cosmo, picking up his own pack and stumbling from the weight.

"Nah. Ras's cool about it. She doesn't want to deal with you kids, anyway. Shall we get going, my funny Fayan friends?"

Wanda nodded, and shaking a few random scorpions from her boots, started the day's long trek out south.

None of the fairies were too accustomed to walking, but their short legs made it easier to grasp the mountain crevices. Flying would be a dead giveaway—if any human saw them, they would be shot and dissected. They were okay with mountains, at any rate. They had scaled plenty back at Fayotozhia.

It was just the bugs.

And the heat.

The horrible, horrible heat.

Wanda smacked at a mosquito, panting. Fumbling for her water canteen, she nearly lost her grip. Ren was there just in time. He caught her firmly by the wrist, holding her for a second until she batted him away. Cosmo flushed jealously, and tried to hide his embarrassment by rushing down the cliff.

"How intrepid," remarked Ren, turning around and shimmying down headfirst. Wanda continued bracing the mountain, taking small steps until she got fed up and dove.

It was about mid-afternoon before they reached the bottom. "Take a nap, kids," said Ren, reclining against a rock. "Nice diving, Wanda. I'm impressed. Okay, so here's the drill. As soon as we get to Cancun, I'm leaving, or Miasma'll get suspicious. You dig? I don't think I can ever help you again… Wanda, you still have that key I gave you, right?"

Wanda patted her pocket wearily, and slumped down. Cosmo was too tired to care. He curled up into a little ball and was asleep in a trice, Wanda following soon after.

"I guess they dig. Poor, stupid kids." Ren walked out to a shadowed corner of the cliff, and pressed a button on his watch. "Headquarters, reporting," he spoke into it.

"Yes?" Fenn's voice rang out clearly from the other end. "What is it, Ren? Is the operation going as we planned?"

Ren smiled cruelly. "One-hundred-percent. It's like a dream. Those idiots… they're falling right into our trap! How's their twerpy godchild doing?"

"Fine… she's sedated right now. You've done well, Ren. You'll be rewarded handsomely."

"Oh, yeah, and Fenn…"

"Yeah?"

"The little pink hair. The one that's sort of good-looking… last week she got bit by a scorpion and didn't even flinch, and today she dive-bombed an entire cliff and managed to come to a perfect stop. Fenn, it is HER."

"Are you sure…? The voices didn't match…"

"I am totally sure. I remember her face. It's fatter now, but… she's the one who turned me into an ASALUM. She's…"

"You're totally sure?"

"Yep. Eh, I'll talk later. Cosmo's waking up, and you know what a pest my little brother can be."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**And now for the reason this story is rated T.**

A cold haze settled over Fairyworld. The normally bright lights and cheery buildings were drowned out by the freezing fog, nipping the noses of the inhabitants and freezing their spirits and souls. They shifted about on the ground, one moving lump restrained by the heavy locks around their ankles. One tiny fairy tripped and skimmed his knee, crying out in pain.

He was answered by the lash of a whip to his face. "Get up," sneered Nero, kicking his chafed knees. The fairy whimpered and struggled, finally collapsing.

"Sir," he whispered, voice tremulous and fearful. "I'm afraid my ankle weights are keeping me down."

Nero rolled his eyes. "And you think you're more so special than the others?"

"You don't have the weights…"

"Silence, fool! You know what, you should be happy for the kind treatment we've been giving you. Y'all eat, don't you?" Nero got right into his face and poked his eye. The fairy clasped a wiry hand to his face, twitching.

"Not enough… Please, in your kind hearts. Could the Fairyworld Supreme Council come up with a way to provide more food for us? We work hard at our jobs, shouldn't we get at least some corned beef?"

Nero waved him off, taking a candy bar out of his pocket and chomping down into it. The fairy cringed and drooled. "Oh, you want this?" Nero dangled it in front of him, laughing in senseless mirth as the fairy struggled to get a bite.

"Sir… just one bite? Not even for me? For my wife, who's starving?"

"Starving, is she?" Nero cocked his head, polishing off the candy bar and tossing the wrapper to the ground. A small group of fairies lunged for it, fighting each other like dogs to get to the chocolaty goodness.

One fairy's trash is another fairy's treasure.

"Boo-hoo. I just suppose that that'll be one less mouth to feed. Oh, and by the way." Nero kicked off the weakened fairies and took the wrapper for himself, licking off the last of the flavor. "The Supreme Council no longer exists. Lady Ras and my wolf buddies all had them Cancelled. Now the Director of this entire operation's in charge. See? Change is everywhere, and can be perceived as orderly or random. I learned that in the sixth grade. How 'bout you? Oh, yes. And the Director has left me as the Discipline Marshall, so I've got to let you suffer. What a cold, heartless cad." Nero pulled a face, sort of a half grin. "Well, good-bye. When your wife dies, I recommend sautéing her in onions. Hah-hah. A joke. Aren't I funny?"

"You've got neither brains nor balls!" hissed the fairy as Nero turned around to leave.

"What?" In the murk, the fairy could see his cheeks flushed, infuriated. "How dare you, a pathetic, helpless leech, insult me? How could you not be grateful that I didn't flog you for falling down? Now you'll SUFFER, damn you, SUFFER!" Nero loomed down on the fighters, now pulling each others' hair. "Hey, if you're so hungry… EAT HIM! Tear him to pieces, savor his guts! Pick off all the meat you can from his scrawny body! And don't clean up when you're done—I want to see his blood painted all over the floor for years to come! I COMMAND IT!"

Nero wasn't even surprised they didn't need prompting. The fairies ravenously fell upon their comrade, scratching at his eyes, clawing into his gut, fighting each other to get just the slightest bit of nourishment. Nero laughed maniacally, twisted.

"Look at this, Fenn!" he hooted, grabbing his sister and forcing her to watch. "Isn't this funny? They're eating out of the palm of my hand!"

Fenn screamed, and clasping a hand to her mouth, dropped to her knees, puking and weeping at the same time. This only encouraged Nero; his laughing echoed throughout the empty chasms of Fairyworld.

Cosmo and Wanda stood at the door to a small shack at the back of the jungle in Cancun. "Is this the right address?" asked Cosmo, staring at it in wonder.

Wanda nodded. "He's only emailed it to me like… fifty times!"

"Is that a lot?"

"Yeah, Cosmo… that's a lot."

"I wish Ren could have stayed."

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't… but… I have a bad feeling about him going off."

At long last, the door opened. A Hispanic fairy, maybe slightly older than them, tan skin, long black hair swept back into a ponytail, purple eyes, flashed an ornery smile at them. "Hola?" he asked.

"No habla Espanol," grumbled Wanda in horrible Spanish.

The fairy laughed when he recognized her voice. "Wanda! Mi amor! It's so good to see you!" He ran up and embraced her in a bear hug, planting _bises_ on her cheeks.

"Hello, Juandissimo," grumbled Wanda. "Can we crash at your place for a few nights?"

"Ah… si! Si! Go right on in…! I'll make you a cup of _dough_."

"A cup of what…?" mumbled Cosmo.

"Must be his English," snorted Wanda. "Cosmo, meet ex-boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, meet Cosmo."

Cosmo and Juandissimo hardly acknowledged each other; with a flighty bow, Juandissimo led them in. The inside of his home wasn't as shabby as the out, except for the fact in was strewn totally in papers, walls plastered with pictures of anime girls. "You're into anime?" asked Wanda, surveying his DVD selection with mild interest. "You don't seem the type…"

"This decade my identity is Otaku Nerd."

"Otaku whatawhat?"

"Japanese for anime obsesser."

"I mean your whole identity thing." Wanda flopped down on his couch, kicked off a random figurine (Juandissimo winced. Apparently it was collectible).

"Ah, yes. But I see you and your… um… amigo… have changed your identities as well? Gangster this decade? Motorcyclists?"

"What are you talking about?" Juandissimo laughed, floating out to the kitchen and returning with three yogurt drinks.

"I suppose you don't know me well enough. Remember how in high school I was Soccer Juan? Well, I get bored with myself. According to psychologists, your personality and interests refine themselves as you age. But I've got too many of them to be refined. So every ten years or so I join a different clique, try a different style, until I get bored with it and change. Although… I do like Hentai." In the dim atmosphere, even his blushing shone through.

"Hentai…?"

"Google it, Cosmo. Have fun."

"I'm getting bored again," continued Juandissimo. "Next I'm thinking… starving artist? Medical prodigy? Although, I want to try something funny. How about vain, lovestruck Spaniard who enjoys removing his shirt? Comprende?"

"Yeah, right." Wanda poked him, amused. "I can't see the likes of you pulling THAT off!"

Juandissimo picked up his precious figurine, polishing it meticulously. "So, why are you here? Isn't your so-called Fairyworld coming up roses?"

"Roses with thorns. Juan, they banned godparenting."

"Dearie me."

"And we're running away!" squealed Cosmo.

Juandissimo set the figure on the endtable, melting into the overstuffed couch. "And you thought you'd get somewhere if you came running to me?"

"Huh?"

"If you care so much about your precious country, I suggest you go to the highest peak in Tibet. Or China. I can't distinguish the likes."

"Why?"

Juandissimo rolled his eyes. "Haven't you heard of the Greater Band? You know, like, band of fairies? The word's out all over the world! Legend goes that fairies came from the highest Tibetan peak, and would only reassemble there when the time of direst need came. I'm guessing that's to fix YOU Fayan yahoos… Ah! Why don't you go as the representatives? I don't know what you'll find there, but I'm sure it's true."

"Why is this the time of direst need…?"

"Well." Juandissimo's expression darkened. "It is said that Fairyworld's government is planning on killing its people."

"What!" Cosmo screamed, spitting out his drink. "Why?"

Juandissimo shook his head sadly. "I don't know why, but my greatest guess is… because they can. Now, get some sleep."

Wanda put her hands in her face. "So now we've got to rescue our godchild AND save the Fayans? Gimme a break!"

"Rescue your…? Where's she being held?"

"The Fairyworld Research Institute… Juan? What are you planning?"

"Nothing." Juandissimo gave a snarky little grin. "Now go to sleep, okay?"


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm baaaack! …But just for a little while. Physics gives me no fanfiction bliss. I'm kind of having transition problems at the moment, so here it is, a cute chapter. (I hope)**

Chapter 7

A soft mountain of plush toys surrounded Cosmo and Wanda's sleeping forms. Trunks of elephants poked at them, the soft fur of a teddy bear brushed against their skin. Cosmo was asleep; the long trek to New York City had been difficult. Wanda was keeping watch, eyes twitching with pure paranoia every time a small child passed by to beg for a doll. The heat was getting to both of them—Cosmo was fanning himself with his wings even in rest, Wanda was panting, staring greedily out the window. A fresh spring snow blanketed the squalid city streets, the air bit through, cracking the windows.

As much as Cosmo and Wanda felt safe resting at the toy store, they couldn't trust anything.

A kid started whining for a stuffed bird; his mother, scolding, roughly jerked him away from the pile, causing some of his bagged peanuts to spill. Wanda swiftly reached out her hand, grabbed whatever food she could get, and drew it back in. Breaking the shells open with her fingers would cause the toy mountain to spill, so she sucked one into her mouth, cracking at it with her teeth. It was a fine specimen, this peanut, honey-roasted and salted and… wait…

Why salt the shells, anyway?

It was amazing how quickly a fairy could get bored. Wanda licked at the shell, now too splintered to be spat out without a great quantity of peanut to go with it, and thought about the whole concept of salting shells.

If no one ate them, why salt them?

Why waste some good salt?

Wouldn't not salting shells save precious resources?

Silly humans.

"Mmmm…" Cosmo stirred. Wanda stilled him, and he awoke groggily, stretching his legs out and yawning at the same time. He was sort of cute when he was sleepy. "Where am I?"

"Heaven," muttered Wanda. "Shut up, Cosmo. There are humans here!"

Cosmo took a peanut without asking, and stared at her, stupidly. "Who are you?" he asked just a notch too loud.

"Wanda! Your WIFE, idiot, WIFE?"

"I'm not an idiot."

Cosmo stared at Wanda several moments after that, jaws moving. The only sounds that came were from the screams of children and the crackles of unreasonably salted nuts. At last, his gaze seemed to grow less bleary, and he resumed his signature grin.

"I didn't dream, Wanda," he stated, as though nothing happened the moment before.

Wanda shook herself, took a peanut to quell her shock. "Oh, in psych in high school, I learned that you always dream no matter what, but most of the time you don't remember 'em."

"Wanda, I didn't dream."

Wanda swallowed her nut, shells and all, and nodded. "Whatever you say, hon. God, it's hot! How warm do humans have to stay?"

"What's it like outside?"

"Fresh blanket of snow," Wanda described through her peephole, "nice fog. Lots of breath coming from peoples' mouths."

"Mmm…" mumbled Cosmo. "Lucky."

"If I have to stay in her another minute, I'll die."

"I've never felt this warm since Juan… Juan… what's-his-face let us stay at his house."

Wanda shot Cosmo a poison glance, although he couldn't see it in the dark. Juandissimo disappeared the very night they arrived at his house, and no traces were ever found of him. A sign of ASALUM intervention. Of course Cosmo and Wanda had to leave right away. Tibet was a holy land; no self-respecting Faya would dare to touch them there.

Besides, the Greater Band.

The lives of the Fayans.

The completeness of their lives.

Their Godchild.

Both Cosmo and Wanda had thought a good share about what in the world the government would want to do killing its people, but every time it came back to one solution: pure and total insanity. Who led the ASALUM anyway?

Wanda's eyes snapped open. Her fists clenched and unclenched, memories were flooding back into her head. Forget it, she told herself… she is dead… forget, forget…

"I'm going."

"Cosmo? What do you think you're doing?"

Wanda followed Cosmo out from under the heap, disturbing a few puppets and slinking past security cameras all the way to the back door. A window was slightly ajar; Cosmo gently pushed it aside, and they clomped into the streets. Right in the middle of daylight. Wanda braced herself, bounding straight for the gutter every time some socialite in high heels went waltzing past. Luckily, the snow was deep enough for them to dig in, masking their existence. They were like two squirrels—very early rising squirrels.

"Lighten up," smirked Cosmo. "With all this traffic…" He dodged a metal boot—"Nobody's going to notice us."

Wanda relaxed some. The fresh air cleared her throbbing head. Eventually they came to a street, lined with many towering buildings. People with nametags seemed to escort larger herds; Wanda read aloud a sign:

"Welcome to the Smithsonian Institute."

"Institute? Like the one back at Fairyworld?"

Wanda tensed. "NO!" she answered abruptly. "It's the best museum in the world."

"Full of human stuff?"

Wanda shrugged. "Come on, Cosmo, you gotta admit that humans are sort of interesting."

"All they do is build and kill each other."

"So do fairies."

Cosmo bit his lip, turning his often-wandering attention to a display case set in front of a museum. "Um, Wan?"

"What?"

Cosmo squinted, pointing to a gleaming item in the case. It was metal… a small sword, fastened with a gold hilt. A wide machete glimmered by it, wrapped leather handle struggling in silent protest against its captivity.

"Is that…?"

"I think it is."

"I knew the humans ransacked the Fayan temple after building that ski resort, but here…? Really?"

Losing timidity for a brief second, they bounded like rays of light to the display.

"These swords, along with other rare items, were found in some of the highest parts of the Rocky Mountains," read Wanda. "Based on the designs, anthropologists theorize that these articles, resembling a mix of Buddhist monk and Japanese Ainu culture, were ceremonial items from an unidentified Indian tribe. Some scientists believe that an entirely different race took the continental bridge to North America, dying out quickly… fishcrap! Everyone knows those are the sacred swords of the founders of Fayotozhia, Rol and Sita."

"How could they bring those things here? Wanda, are we just going to let them sit? We have to do something…?"

If any passerby had looked a second later, they would have noticed two swords missing—the ingenious work of two fairies trying their hands at manual magic for the first time.

You don't have to have a gun to be a thief in New York.

Not that they were ever thieves at all.


	8. Chapter 8

**To the reviewers: Heh-heh, that chapter was actually meant to confuse you…**

Chapter 8

_"Daddy! Daddy! Tell me about Rol and Sita again!"_

_"Again? But it's the third time!"_

_"Please, Daddy?"_

_"Wanda, think about your sister! Does she want to hear it again?"_

_"I wanna hear it again, too!"_

_Two twin girls, five years of age, stare up at their adopted father, scarred and heavyset. Although the girls are not of his own blood, the geneticists back at the Institute changed their appearance so they could resemble him. One, with a massive tangle of raspberry-colored hair, makes some sort of martial-arts move. Her baby wings, limp and about to molt, fold, and she collapses over her heels. Billowing white pants protect her from any embarrassment as her blue tunic blankets her squirming form. She rolls around, picks up a stick, and whacks at a stuffed doll, playing Sita. Even the gruff father can't help smiling. Wanda. A fitting name for her, meaning wolf._

_Too bad her sister wasn't important enough to her creators to get her own name. She was once Wanda, too, until Daddy changed it to Blonda based on her hair. They could have been cancelled—those failed experiments—but he bought them, saving their lives._

_The winds howl so despondently through the village of Karensula, located at the peak of Fayotozhia. Little Wanda believes in the spirits of folklore, haunting the chasms of shifting ice until justice is brought to the Fayans._

_What justice? Wanda often thinks. She's precocious for her age, and can't help wondering that there's some truth to the old wives' tales. She thinks—she knows—that whenever she goes out alone to some remote area to pick mushrooms, voices boil up to the surface and reach her._

_It's just that… no one else hears them…_

_"The story of Rol and Sita…"_

"Sita was a milkmaid, banished from the homeland of Tibet for breaking the law," recited Cosmo, staring cross-eyed at the uninterested fire imp sitting right beside him. The Atlantic churned disagreeably beneath the crude dinghy of a boat he, Wanda, and twelve other fairies of varying species rode in.

Well, it was better than flying.

Cruising over five thousand miles of ocean in the bitter rain and wind was far from being the Fayan couple's ideal of nice cold.

They had only been too excited to join after Thalia, a water sprite who worked as a transporter to get members to the Greater Band, spotted and invited them onboard her "ship".

The fire imp, a tall lady named Mnemosyne, snuggled farther into the wall, trying to keep her conversation with Cosmo up. Nobody seemed to really care for the two newcomers—after all, who like Fayans?—but they were polite.

"What did she do?" asked Mnemosyne, husky voice scraping like a chisel against an egg carton.

"She broke religious law… I think…"

"The holy land in Tibet is where all fairies came from. There is no religion."

"That's just it. She made up Fayanism, because her species was the smallest and weakest, and needed to come together in order to be respected. She, and her only follower, Rol, flew to the mountain that would be Fayotozhia…"

"Let me guess, Rol was in love with Sita."

"Well… um… stop spoiling it!"

"Sorry."

"So Rol followed her because he was in love with her, and they built a temple to live in and practice their religion at the same time."

"That's what they did that was so great?"

"Don't forget the war with the humans!" hollered Wanda from her game of Parcheesi with an elf and a brownie, obsessively grooming his baby's ears.

"Oh!" Cosmo nodded, eyes fixed longingly on the baby brownie. "They had been living there for about a year when a powerful tribe of the first humans moved in. Rol and Sita just had their first child, and the head human woman just had hers too. Back then, fairies didn't know they could practice magic. Rol offered his baby to the woman's. In a friendly ceremony, they would take care of each others' children for a month to show they could be trusted."

"Uh-huh."

"Rol and Sita's baby accidentally unleashed his magic, killing the woman, so the chief of the humans ordered a hunt for them. At this time, they and other Fayans were discovering magic, and getting summoned to Fayotozhia. So they wouldn't all be found at once, they made different camps along the mountain, which would turn into the clans, and then villages. The ones who had green hair lived in Iyana. They were the Samhouris, my clan.

"My name translates to 'the Lion Rider of Iyana'. My great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Cozo, tamed the wild cats that lived on the mountain and used them as weapons. Wanda's clan lived in Karensula, on top of the mountain. They were the basic military. 'White Wolf' is a way to address a general.

"Humans and fairies fought for the longest time, and a lot—mostly my clan—died. Rol ended the war and his life by using up all his magic to reset what he did. Humans never ventured to the mountain (until a few years ago), Fayans established Fayotozhia, and Sita was left to do everything from make peace with other fairies to feeding children in villages. Until she, like, died in an say that her spirit still walks on Fayotozhia, and she's very angry at us for messing up everything she's done."

"She also established Godparenting," mentioned Wanda. "You see here, when the babies were swapped… that's why Fayan babies are called 'changelings', she felt so guilty about what she did to the humans she made everyone sign a pact, saying that we'll help them the best we can. Sita is the writer of our Rules. She's really important… and now we have the swords of our two founders… Mnemosyne? Mnemosyne?"

The fire imp had fallen asleep.

"Tell us where you hid them, Goddamn!" Miasma struck her latest victim, a dark Fayan with long, black hair. He stared up at her intently, purple eyes flashing whatever light they could give. A little stream of blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

"I… didn't hide them…" he coughed. "That's… the… truth."

"Shit! Don't fall asleep! Why did you try to break into the Institute?"

Juandissimo Magnifico dropped his head, moaning at the chains that cut into his wrists. "You're holding a human girl hostage," he managed.

"Don't mention her! If the boss catches us talking about her, he'll kill us both!"

"And the boss is…?"

"Oh, Christ. I can't even get your name. NERO! GET IN HERE!"

The white-haired fairy waltzed in, wings stained a pinkish color. Whatever the reason behind them, Juandissimo didn't want to know. Nero was twirling a few cables, attached threateningly to a voltage box.

"Hey, pretty boy," leered Nero. "I heard you won't talk to Auntie Miasma, and she's the softie here." He got right in Juan's face, blasting him with his breath, reeking of chocolate bar.

"Since you won't fess up, I brought Mr. Sparky over for a visit."

Juandissimo's eyes widened in fear. Nero had brought his electric shock machine with him.

"Nero! Miasma! You're wanted in Otanyo District." Fenn joined them, holding a baseball bat. Nero cursed to himself; Fenn shot him a look as they shuffled out.

"Don't worry, brother, I'll make sure you'll get to use Mr. Sparky soon."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi, I'm back! I've been busy with school work lately, so updating will be slow. ^.^ (Oh God, I'm using text faces now!)**

Chapter 9

Fairyworld was a normally colorful place. The backup home, woven skillfully with magic, always seemed to sparkle. Fairies were creatures that enjoyed following human trends—here, traditional Fayan restaurants were replaced with fast food, there, temples became castles, theatres into drive ins, yaks into special floating cars that ran off of polluted air from Earth rather than emitting themselves.

The entire area, of around three acres, was split into seven districts, traditionally, the lucky number of the Faya: Otanyo, a trading center, Himana, a performing arts complex, Fayamora, a suburb where ex-godparents resided, Nanyin, the ghetto where lame or insane fairies and gangsters moped about, Samaroiu, where wands and other magical items were manufactured, T'ahme, the Industrial district, and Mairu, the center and capital of the city-state. A light rail system looped throughout Fairyworld, grouping the districts together.

Normally, most fairies either flew or used their wands instead of using the silly train system.

But not today.

Several shackled Faya were escorted into Himana station by a few disheveled-looking ASALUM officers. Food supplies had been running low for them, as well. The conductor, tripping over his many locks and chains, ushered the protesting fairies into the train.

"Shut up," growled Fiona, prodding a whining girl with her claws. The lupine DNA in her wasn't grafted very well—stress alone caused her to start morphing against her will. The fairy squeezed in between the door and dozens of tightly packed bodies. "Unnn…" she grunted as one slammed against her.

"Please clear the exits. You are delaying the progress of this train," came the recorded, disembodied voice that growled whenever someone caused it some sort of offense. Fiona shook her head, giving the fairy a hard push. The doors snapped shut in an instant, and the train was off like a bullet.

"Why are we here?" cried a frightened fairy. His shackles were scathing against him, and the heat from their many crunched together bodies made him feel faint. "I'd rather walk with these chains on!"

"Where are we going?" sniffed a juvenile, but her question was lost. A fight was brewing somewhere in the middle car, and the protestant screeches and curses of terrified fairies marked the pathway to wherever their destination was.

'That's my foot, you idiot!"

"Well, sorry! I ain't got no room to move it!"

"You're crushing my wings!"

"Get your pervy hands offa my--."

"SHUT UP!" screeched one, pushing the fae next to her. It caused a chain reaction amongst the fairies, forcing the ones in the middle to stumble. She was taller than the others. Short blue hair, crystal-clear eyes, lovely figure, revealing clothes—Mirai was always a standout amongst her species.

More commonly known as the Tooth Fairy, Mirai For'as was set to a certain task when the original monarchy was overthrown. Given orders by her new boss, a woman who identified herself by the name of Packleader Indigo, she was given the position to collect children's teeth and leave them quarters… since human babes were so attracted to material things, after all. Why she did it, she wasn't too sure, but it made her rich. She'd turn the teeth into a deposit center at the side of the Institute, and then she'd never see them again.

But now the old regime was gone; she still collected teeth, but she wasn't paid.

"Otanyo!" she called. Mirai was plastered firmly against the window so she could see everything that was going on. "We're going to the Meeting Square of Otanyo District!"

The train screeched to a stop; those who saw what was going on recoiled in shock. Friends, clan members, workmates. All were assembled in the square, held down by a magnetic grid spread across the ground, attracting their metal cuffs.

"Thank you for riding with us today. Please exit in an orderly fashion," said the mechanical train-voice once again. Cheery music blared as Ren and Nero herded the frantic citizens into the square. They were bound immediately. Nero flew between them, holding a chocolate bar in their faces.

"Nero! We don't have time!" scolded Ren, threatening one with his pistol.

"What's the rush?" snarled Nero, kicking one's face.

"We've got to get the Collection and Release done with."

"That's right." Nero grinned. "How should we do it? Gas, shots, bombs?"

"We aren't releasing them now! The Director has to order which Clans go first!"

"We're organizing it by Clans, are we? I say we get rid of those without them first, then Samhouris. Only a few members there are!"

"Wait!" Ren tensed, nostrils flaring. "Um… they train the wild cats we need for the Final Operation. We can't get rid of them yet."

"Right." Nero winced, and held his head.

"Headache again?"

"Yeah." Nero fumbled through his pocket for a pain pill. He ingested it without water and turned to Ren. "They're becoming more frequent."

He narrowed his emerald eyes, and turned away, hiding his moment of weakness. But he was in agony…

"After all," said Ren, changing the subject so he wouldn't anger his coworker. "You and Fenn are the only surviving members of Akurarymankatya Clan. Why aren't you killed first?"

Nero wheeled on him angrily, half-smiling, half-screaming. "SHUT UP!" he screeched, laying a hard one on Ren. The latter dodged it, grabbing at the pressure point on Nero's neck. His fingers clasped around it, Nero felt a smashing jet of pain lance through him, and he collapsed to the ground, ranting and raving.

"Shut up…! Shut your damn mouth…! Shut…"

Ren looked over at him. The Faya were too busy with their own needs; they didn't notice Nero lying unconscious on the ground.

"Frickin' hell," he muttered. "I didn't pinch him that hard…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Institute never seemed to lift its dark and dreary atmosphere, inhabited or not. Darker still was the office located in the epicenter—a few drapes, curios, what were supposed to be animals. A few experiments, resembling grossly misshapen squirrels, attacked each other in their wrought-iron cages.

A solitary Faya was watching them, legs swinging casually over his desk. "Fight, fight, little ones," he breathed, poking a moldy carrot through the bars. One slashed the other in its effort to get to the treat; the latter nibbled its tail in frustration.

"Just fight until you die."

A smile spread across his face. Although mostly in shadow, his silhouette suggested the frame of a small Faya, bespectacled, draped in stringy long hair.

"My dear Celene," he whispered, running his hands over the cage next to him. It housed a fairy woman, but her eyes were frosted over, temporarily sealed in a catatonic state. "Are you ready to come into this play? Solve the mystery? Hmm?"

The Director of all Operations thrust a blanket over the kennel, and returned to his desk.

To finish the plans for the Final Operation…

**Next chapter: the story will finally become less confusing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh, look who's back. Meh! Now for an evil and somewhat effed up sinister plot courtesy of the Director of the ASYLUM. Some stuff might actually be explained.**

Chapter 10

"Awake… are you awake, Faya?"

The dark-skinned fairy fleeted in and out of consciousness, breathing raggedly. Darkened blood trickled down his lips, and the skin around his eyes had swollen so much they encompassed whatever weakened sight they possessed. Not that he really had much to fear. Faya were incredibly hardy creatures.

"Can you hear me, Faya?"

The voice was dissonant, but not at all harsh. A gentle tone; like feathers dropping on a silver lake.

He tried to lift his head, but the pain was blinding. Who was she? Where was he?

"You're the one looking for the girl, right? The godchild of Cosmo and Wanda?"

At the sound of his ex-girlfriend's name, he raised his wings just enough to show he was awake.

"I think I remember you back from the days of Fayotozhia. You had no clan… so you abandoned us at the time of the Ski Resort."

This was somewhat funny to him, and he gave what passed for a chuckle.

"Your name is Issi, isn't it? We used to play as mere changelings."

"It is I, Fenn," he answered at last, opening one puffy eye. He didn't even bother with a Latino accent—many fairies became interested in the cultures of their godchildren and became passionate about human regions—he replaced it with a silky-smooth Souiyang touch. "Issi of Carnalaia. But I go by an alias nowadays. Juandissimo Magnifico."

"What kind of name is that?" said Fenn, loosening the chains from her prisoner's wrists and offering him a sip of water. "It doesn't fit your personality, Issi… don't drink too much."

Juandissimo rubbed his aching joints, lifting up his face. The darkness in the room was nice, at least. "I've many personalities, m'dear. Anyway, where am I?"

Fenn had to admire his toughness—after Fiona tortured him with "Mr. Sparky", she was certain he wouldn't wake up for several hours after that. "The Institute. We took you prisoner because you tried to break in, remember? You didn't have an identification number, so it took me a while to recall that you were my childhood playmate."

"I got out of this pastelly rathole before you could do any of that stuff to me. Although a fairy is a servant to his godchild, he is still one of the freest magical beings of all. I can't have that freedom taken away from me. Although it was hard living away from other Faya, I could still go on because every morning I woke to greet the sun… I could taste freedom"

"Taste it?"

"When the feeling's so strong, it's like you've drunk the purest glass of life-giving water."

Juandissimo gave a little shrug and crawled to the corner.

"What made you return, Issi?"

"You mean Juan? A beautiful woman made me do it. She and her husband started to cry about their godchild who was brought here, and I just had to rescue it. Love is fickle, you know. But I could say the same for you. Why did you choose to undergo the ASALUM operation?"

Fenn sighed. "I didn't choose it. My brother, Nero, did, and somehow I ended up dragged into it."

"What's gotten into the boy, anyway? He used to be a kind child."

Fenn wrung her hands. "I… don't know. Ever since the ASALUM operation, he's been crueler. He gets headaches… he snaps at me… An ASALUM is a fairy whose DNA has been combined with a wolf's. Although we are given great strength, the ability to transform, and added speed, we lose most of our magical abilities in return. I can't defend myself in a fight with wands, Issi.

"Remember Operation Good Day? We didn't care about that guy who protested. We revoked your wands because then we'd easily be able to overthrow the original Supreme Council. Although there is a way that a fairy can tap into his magical system and learn to perform it manually without the aid of a wand, chances are, he won't."

"Wait… so magic isn't compressed into wands?"

"No, it isn't. Us magical researchers don't even know what it is, actually. But that's not important, Issi. There are more important matters at wing."

"Such as?"

"Issi, you've got to help me save them. The Director of Operations… the man who runs this thing now… is planning on killing everybody."

Juandissimo's head snapped up. "WHAT? Killing?"

Fenn nodded, eyes to the ground. "I played along with them for months… years. But in the end, I couldn't stand it anymore. Isn't science interesting? Isn't it great to abandon our ways and play God? Isn't it wonderful to abandon our godchildren, who need us? It's almost impossible to make changelings, Issi!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped brusquely. "What's going on?"

Fenn clenched her fists. "Many millions of years ago, when this earth was different, our ancestors wove a web of dark magic, its purpose to someday replace all humans with fairies. Although we say it, humans are not bad. All they need is guidance, which is why we become godparents. Well, they called this web the Darkness. It loomed over the earth forever, until the Faya took pity on their human slaves and beat it back into the universe. Ashamed of ourselves, we attempted to split our souls in half, sealing our evil side in what we refer to as vermin called Anti-Fairies."

"Of course I know what those are! Do you take me for a fool?"

"This is where we come in. Years later, we discover genetics. Packleader Indigo, our founding mother, engrafts DNA into our bodies. We take out the King. Ideas are spread. Imagine, if we could enhance our race, we would become the alternate leaders of the universe! What if we could use the Darkness to our leisure? We are Darkness.

However, why murder all the humans? Why not just advance them and make them our slaves again? Why not just take out all the Anti's and other magical phenomena. Since the Darkness's purpose is to kill humans, engrafting fairy genes upon human's is necessary for them to be subservient.

"For years, a woman called Mirai has collected children's teeth. We practiced our engraving with those, and recently, we found the answer. The godchild of Cosmo and Wanda, Kat, is alive, but newly modified. I'll take you to see her. She will be the one, under our command, to release these genes, in the form of a virus, upon mankind. But the plot doesn't stop there. The Director wants to kill the Faya."

"W… Why?"

"Just killing their bodies, not their souls. Clan by clan, their bodies rot. After other magical creatures are destroyed, then the Director will have Fiona, our head scientific engineer, construct new and more powerful bodies, sealing their souls in them. Magic figures in too, you know. We'll be better, faster, stronger… This is the Final Operation."

"That's horrible! Why would you do that?"

"Not the ASALUM. The Director. We know that we won't get much out of it. Believe me, some of us are actually good people. And… the Director says he plans to kill himself after the plan is executed…"

"That's madness…!"

"He IS mad. But we cannot protest. When we swore to follow him, he implanted a chip in our bodies. If our bodily endorphins signal betrayal, then the chip causes our blood pressure to rise until we explode from the inside out."

"Oh my God…"

"So, Issi, that is why I ask of you, and the Greater Band, to stop the Director! Now, can I take you to see the godchild?"

"Fenn."

Ren was standing right in the dorrway, eyes shadowed, body illuminated with a ghostly light. "What the hell did you just tell him?"

"I… um…"

"I heard it all, you stupid bitch! And… thank you." Ren gave a slight grin. "You don't think I want everyone killed, do ya? Ras is in on this, too!"

Fenn smiled in return. "Ah, another ally!"

"As much of a bastard I can be, I don't want my family killed. I just met my kid brother! Why should I murder him? Hey, Senor Muscles… may I ask something else of you?"

Juandissimo gave an ornery grin. "Ask away, dear."

"In return for your release and protection, will you in turn protect Cosmo?"

Juandissimo nodded. "Forever?"

"Please." Ren bowed low; the highest sign of respect.

"Very well then. Now, are you going to take me to see Kat or what?"

**Either that explained everything, or confused you even more. If it did, PLEASE tell me what you were confused about! I want to make this story goodi-ful. Anyhoo, next chapter: Enter Anti-Cosmo and the Greater Band!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I just realized… I've been working on this since February.**

**Jedi: Well, updating depends on my willpower to write this thing. It's a really technical story that I have to spend a bit of time on thinking about (hur-durr, a nerd). Thank you for the review!**

** Everyone Else: You've got the gist of the story. For now. Thanks for reading my story even though I'm slow and lazy. :] And… I think I'm going to introduce more confusing concepts in this chapter.**

Chapter 11

Throughout the frigid chasms of endless space, the tiniest nuances of flute notes flitted through the air, then evaporated. Snow flurried down in powdery flakes, dusting the saturated brown tones of frozen rocks. Everything. Silent. Cold.

Although, the small figure lying curled up and shivering didn't mind it. He couldn't explain it. Not exactly pleasant… but not exactly disagreeable. A foreign feeling.

He lay there for a few more moments, green eyes plastered open, not seeing, not seeing…

No inch of scenery passed through his entire pan of vision, but plenty of activity registered in his detached, frosted corneas. He wasn't seeing the world as it was, but its inner makings.

Shuddering violently, he realized what that feeling was.

Lately, he hadn't been himself. Ever since two years ago, he had gotten headaches, hot flashes. He couldn't read as well as he used to, messed up foreign languages.

As a matter of fact, he could have sworn his brain was closing in on itself.

There was a time he could think straight… years ago… when his grades were all wonderful and he was offered scholarships. He would prove invaluable to research, they said. He would be the most valued citizen in the country, they said.

And… in high school, or what they considered high school in their country, he failed one test.

He remembered the pain. The emptiness. How he was teased by his classmates. "Is he going stupid?" they jeered.

And he went spiraling.

Dying, in a sense.

Year after year, his thoughts became distorted, his brain cells seemed to die. Everyone was cruel. He smiled… yes, he smiled and pretended to have fun. But did he even know what fun was anymore?

He had his wife. He knew she loved him. But she would get impatient with him and call him an idiot.

Always the same word. Idiot.

There was no word for him, though. Naïve? No. Unintelligent? Perhaps.

His already short train of thought veered, and he remembered the toy store in New York. He woke up to his wife, and couldn't remember her name.

He had forgotten her own _name_.

"I am an idiot," he whispered, cringing at his singsong voice. "I'm sorry, Wanda. I promise… I'll try harder."

Cosmo, head of Samhouri clan, closed his eyes, and turned off his vision.

Marred thoughts clashed through uneven brainwaves. He was dreaming a little. Here he saw the vague shadows of what looked like a laboratory. The Institute? No, this place was too big and too desolate even for that. Silhouettes passed by, scratching notes on clipboards. Cosmo strained his ears, not that he would be able to hear imaginary people. Could he hear talking? Whispers, at most. Whispers of fear.

He walked down unrecognizable halls, finally opening a door. A winged woman was inside, dressed almost entirely in black. Blood trickled down her neck, and he realized her ears were cut off. An angel of death? Cosmo tensed. He had an insane urge to free the angel, but she scared him. She turned her head toward him.

Was that… Wanda he was seeing? She had square-fringed ebony hair that dropped to her waist, dark wings with feathers falling in clumps. But her face was exactly the same as his wife's. Cosmo cocked his head, stupefied at this phenomenon. Her expression was different, lifeless and detached, but her eyes and manner bore strong resemblance.

At last, she registered his presence. The woman's brow furrowed a little, and she stiltedly grabbed a scalpel from the operating table near her, drawing forward.

Cosmo stumbled back. "No," he croaked, holding out his hands in the manner of protecting himself. "Please. Please have mercy on me, _Jacqueline_."

"Who's Jacqueline? Someone I should know about?"

Immediately Cosmo was jarred back into the real world. Wanda was standing uncomfortably on his leg, hands on hips, irritated.

"No," he muttered, flushing. "I was dreaming."

"Dreaming about another woman."

"Believe me," sighed Cosmo, "I don't think you want to meet her."

Wanda laughed and released him from her clutches. "So, Sleeping Beauty, did you have fun spending your first night out in the wilderness?"

"I'm not Sleeping Beauty," he whined. "I'm the princess and the pea! Man, I couldn't sleep all night!"

"Neither could I," related Wanda, nodding. "So we get off the boat ride from hell and then we have to climb all the way up some mountain, just to realize the Greater Band is a little group of twelve people. Ten of which were on our boat."

Cosmo moaned. "Don't remind me."

"It's a crapping disappointment…"

"We sent half our recruits out to scavenge for food."

Wanda wheeled around, stunned to see who had spoken. He was a dapper little thing, a nicely clad version of Cosmo with bluish-hued skin and meticulously sharpened fangs.

"Hello?" she stammered.

"So, this is what a Faya looks like." He adjusted his monocle, and pinched her cheek. "Ugly beasts."

"I could say the same for you! And you happen to be…?"

"What you so rudely refer to as an 'Anti-Fairy'. Pleased to meet you."

Wanda's jaw dropped an inch or two. She had heard of Anti-Fairies, but never seen one.

"I assume you're Wanda," sniffed the Anti-Fairy morosely. "The counterpart of my wife."

"Er… yes."

Wanda had a hard time following the relationships of Anti's and Faya.

"She's been taken away by your charmer of a government."

"So has my family. You're not alone." She could barely stand the morose creature.

"Well, so I guess we're on the same level then. I'm Anti-Cosmo."

"Anti-me?" piped up Cosmo, forcing a smile. "Cool!"

Anti-Cosmo rolled his eyes. "Look. I don't want anything to do with you. Faya are a disgrace to all magical creatures—what you call Konnetesai in your language, right?" He never allowed them a chance to answer. "Get your lazy derrieres over to breakfast. See? It's right over there." He pointed to a clearing, where some of the rebels were huddled. In the center, a noticeably taller woman was speaking.

A woman with wings. Angel wings.

The hairs on the back of Cosmo's neck pricked up.

"Who's that?" he murmured.

"Who?"

"Lady in the blue dress. Brown wings."

Anti-Cosmo sighed. "That's our leader."

"Jacqueline?"

"What...? No. Her name is Sita."


	12. Chapter 12

**Oh cheese. This is almost one year in the making. I'm finally out of my writer's block, so hopefully I can do this chapter some justice. To those of you reading this, thank you so much for your support. Because this part of the story is more narration-driven, I'll probably be updating in the next few days. This chapter's more for getting me into the spirit of this story again. And so the plot thickens further.**

Chapter 12

The cold never really seemed to dissipate in the holy lands. Snow settled hard on the withering peaks, and the only real vegetation that grew was a small festering of lichen on the blunt side of a freezer burnt rock.

A blizzard was setting in again, like always, and the Greater Band—all twenty-six of them—huddled together under an awning, shivering in the stone pantheon where they met every morning and every night. A bonfire crackled and danced in a makeshift pit, the orange glows cascading eerily against the boulders.

Mnemosyne, the imp, was stirring up some sort of hash for breakfast, and most of them were curled up, cat-napping.

Wanda was slouching toward the opening of the shelter, mindlessly catching snowflakes on her tongue.

Cosmo was lying several meters away, eyes fixed on the winged woman who called herself Sita. He had a horrible headache, and sleep still lay heavy on his eyelids. But he was afraid to sleep, especially with the dreams he'd been having…

Lately, he'd been having the sort of sensation of falling, like someone or something was watching him. His muscles were in tone with this entity, but whether he could tell it was benevolent or otherwise was what goaded him.

He'd felt this uneasy with himself ever since he saw Sita. Of course, she bore name similar to the Faya sung in legends, but he had a vague feeling gnawing on the bottom of his heart that he knew her from somewhere.

No, this Sita was certainly not Faya—she was _konnetsiga, _the Souiyang word broadly meaning "magical creature". He wasn't sure what she was, either. Never in all his millennia of living had he ever seen such a species of fairy. Cosmo was a bit jealous, in fact.

Those wings! That's what he was jealous of!

Albeit, he probably wasn't the only one who wanted that fantastic wingspan of tawny brown, and he'd seen the same color scheme on pigeons before, but he still felt inferior with his fly-like appendages.

Cosmo blinked. No, it couldn't be her wings.

She was obviously more powerful than him.

How he knew that, he wasn't sure, either, but the realization of her powers erupted in his sensory cells—Cosmo blinked once more, feeling suddenly weak and angry.

"Was I that powerful once?"

The woman Sita heard and whirled around.

"Who's there?" she asked to the air. "Who was the one who spoke?"

Cosmo's cheeks burned, and he tugged on the hem of her pants.

"I'm umm… I'm down here."

Sita looked down and laughed, smirking at his short and bulky form.

"Oh, there you are!" She had an even-toned voice, low-keyed and smooth as honey. "I don't believe I've seen you here before."

"Me and my wife just got in yesterday."

"Oh? And you're Faya?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"We wouldn't expect your type to be here."

"Figures."

"What was that? I can't hear you when you speak to my feet."

Cosmo grumbled to himself, and looked up at her. Sita froze when she saw him, studying every detail, every ridge along his face.

"What's your… name?" she asked, narrowing her amber eyes.

Cosmo shifted nervously. "C-Cosmo. Cosmo Samhouri."

"Really?"

"Yeah… what's your problem? Is my name funny?"

Sita sighed. "You wouldn't understand… Er, yes, your name IS funny! Fayans always choose the strangest informal names…"

Cosmo cocked his head, wondering why this woman he'd just met was acting so strange. "Are you okay…?"

"I'm _fine_! And it's very nice to meet you."

"You're not acting like it's nice to meet me!" he squeaked defensively. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing… you honestly did nothing wrong. I'm just a bit tired, that's all. Take a seat, Cosmo Samhouri, for our meeting's about to begin."

Cosmo scuttled away from her as fast he could, and plopped down next to Wanda. He didn't like this mean and weird character. It was apparent that Faya were not welcome in the Greater Band ever since their treatment on Thalia's ship, but this animosity toward the ones who knew how to get to the epicenter of the problem was getting ridiculous. Nobody would talk to them, save for maybe Anti-Cosmo and his stinging insults.

And Sita was just plain intimidating.

Wanda seemed impressed with her, at least. Whether she was gazing wide-eyed at the woman in pure admiration, or was just gawking with animal-like desire at the pot of hash, he couldn't tell.

"Attention!" called Sita. She'd sat herself like some sort of queen in the center of the meeting area, legs crossed, blue skirt draping over her lily-white legs.

Everyone shut up immediately, mostly because they were hungry and Sita would starve them if they didn't listen.

"It's disappointing that after two months, we've only gotten these many rebels," she started, eyeing her meager army with mild disapproval. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the Faya have hatched some crack pot scheme to not only dominates the humans, but to dominate us as well."

Murmurs. Raised eyebrows. Angry glares at Cosmo and Wanda.

"I might be your leader, but that doesn't mean I have all the answers. However, you cannot blame the two Faya in the back for the madness in their species. There is no proof that they are spies, and if they were, it would be impossible for them to ship information back to their country. If not the Faya, I'm sure any of us could hatch a plot like that. After all, we do lust for all the freedom in the Earth, correct?"

More murmurs, but less glares.

"But coming back to that I don't have all the answers, I'm afraid I don't know all the motives behind this plot… what the Faya call 'The Final Operation'."

"That's what it's called?" piped up Wanda, furrowing her eyebrows.

Sita sighed. "See? Even she doesn't know what her people are up to. Who will be suffering, how the Faya are planning on taking over the world, why they haven't attacked us yet is beyond what I can hypothesize."

"Permission to speak?" grunted Anti-Cosmo from the back. He obviously wasn't the sort who enjoyed taking on a servile attitude.

"You have the floor."

Anti-Cosmo got up and strutted in his typical self-absorbed way to where Sita stood, and cleared his throat.

"Normally, I wouldn't even be involving myself in the affairs of true konnetsiga," he started, biting his lip in sheer bitterness. "After all, the Anti-Fairies are considered scum to you all. But fellows, if you call the serpent devil and kill it before it can bite you, who are the real evil one? My point is I'm the only one of my species here. We've been persecuted mercilessly all our lives, especially by Faya… those self-absorbed… prats…!"

Anti-Cosmo pointed an angry finger at Cosmo and Wanda.

"I can't even have my own NAME because of them. Even though we're different, I'm supposedly THIS idiot's counterpart! So, technically, I'm Faya… I'm lower than Faya! But why aren't you ganging up on me? It's because my people are suffering as well."

"No one gives a damn about your feelings!" snapped someone toward the side of the room. "What's your point, fella?"

Anti-Cosmo crossed his arms. "What if this isn't the fault of all the Faya? What is this is merely a conspiracy made up by a few people? What if they are suffering too? I agree with Sita. It is pretty much agreed that we hate what the Faya are doing, but must we hate the Faya? All this name-calling gets us nowhere. We need to be figuring out their plans, that's what we should be doing!"

Shouts of agreement. Cosmo and Wanda sighed in relief.

"It is rather curious, though," he stated, "I've been wondering myself why we haven't been attacked. The force behind Fairyworld could easily take us out, and our location is painfully obvious. We keep sentries out all day and night, but there's no need to. Is it possible that we're being tricked, being lured into something? Are they intentionally trying to bring us into their territory?"

"I think so!" cried Wanda all of a sudden. "Misses Sita, ma'am, if I could interrupt…? Our intelligence system is like you wouldn't believe."

"Great. Just great."

Wanda gave a wide grin. "But this fairy you're looking at right here used to work with intelligence. I can maybe give you some insight on how to get to the bulk of this."

Sita stiffened, eyes widening. "What? You know? Speak, Faya! No one will interrupt!"

Wanda cleared her voice to spoke.

Then it happened.

Gongs, ringing gongs striking a note of fear deep in their hearts.

The sentries had spotted something, and they were alerting everybody.

They were under attack.


	13. Chapter 13

**What's this…? I'm updating TWICE IN ONE MONTH? What does this next chapter mean? WHO KNOWS? ;)**

Chapter 13

_Ah, how the sands of time are disturbed in their seemingly never-ending shifting. The moon sets, the sun rises, the sun sets, the moon rises. Ah, the perfect and unalterable circle of life. It is in these means that we find our security, this unbreakable cycle of reliance. But, perhaps what so we genially refer to as "time" could actually be an illusion, a dream world created to lure us into a void of ignorance._

_ Please consider the portrait of Cosmo of Samhouri clan, for his sleep is soon to end… Gather round and listen to the story of the dreamwalker, he who lived and lived and lived and lived all over and over again…_

"Cosmo! Get going, idiot!"

Wanda, sword shouldered, was glaring bloody murder at her husband. Most of the others were already scrambling to the source of the commotion yards from the mouth of the meeting place, scouring the grounds to and fro trying to find the attackers. Cosmo was stock still, drinking in the mayhem so close yet far away from him.

"Well? Cosmo? Cosmo?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she shook him.

"Cosmo? You know I love you… but why the hell aren't you moving? Do you want to be killed, moron?"

"Wanda… I…" Cosmo shifted his feet, teeth gnashed together.

"Wanda what? Get moving!"

"Something tells me we shouldn't be attacking whatever's out there!"

Wanda looked breathless for a moment. "Cos… mo?"

"I can feel it!" he cried, grounding his feet. "Something bad might happen if we do!"

Wanda stared at him, then with a huffy "I always knew you were a coward and an oaf", abandoned him, rushing to help her comrades.

Why couldn't Cosmo move…?

Now Wanda would hate him!

As soon as he felt the presence of whatever thing was out there, he knew that it was harmless. How he'd come to this realization he didn't know, but he was sure of it. It was like… he was a marionette, that something was whispering things to him.

And this had to tie in with his feeling of being watched by some horrid cosmic entity, bent on controlling him.

The sensation of falling he'd felt lately returned a thousand fold.

"Please… don't attack."

But no one ever listened to him. They all just ran out.

Cosmo tried his best to shake the feeling, and tried to pick up his wings. No, Wanda could be harsh, but she had every bit to be in that panicky situation. Apologies later, fight now.

He shot like an arrow to where the farrago was going on, and flew overhead, surveying the area. There was nothing but the Greater Band tearing at each other! They all look pathetic, he couldn't help thinking, and Cosmo seldom thought, so it was a rather strange situation indeed.

Were the alarm gongs disturbed by the wind?

No, no! Toward the edge of the mountain! Something was stirring was stirring behind a rock.

Cosmo banked left, ready to swoop down and grab the culprit. He was gaining acceleration, faster, faster, faster…

Wanda was there first. She had her sword drawn, and was pulling the invader's hair, sword drawn. She looked like she was about to swing it…

Cosmo reeled in horror, nearly losing his balance. Wanda would kill something, especially another Faya…?

And then he noticed her shadow. It wasn't a fairy's… it was the silhouette of a winged woman, lithe and slender. Unmistakably, one he'd seen his dream earlier that day.

His head was on fire. What was going on? Why was there a Faya infiltrating their ranks? Why was Wanda acting so cruel… what was with her shadow? Why was he still flying toward her, arms outstretched?

"DON'T HURT HER, JACQUELINE!" he screamed, and then he didn't quite remember the rest of the scene…

His hands came in contact with Wanda's flesh, she turned, eyes widening in surprise. And then she was falling, right off the cliff, becoming smaller and smaller as she pummeled down the mountain.

Cosmo's mouth went dry. He just… pushed her off?

Sita was on him immediately, feathers flying as she grabbed him by the throat, roughly pinning him to the rock.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT, FAYA?" she screeched, punching him.

Cosmo moaned, unable to wipe away the blood spurting out his nose.

"Over… reacted," he choked, struggling against her.

Sita smacked him again, grinding his tiny body further into the boulder.

"Ah, is that so? Why was that aimed at your wife? And why of all things did you call Wanda 'Jacqueline'?"

"I don't know!" he shrieked, squirming, gasping for air.

"What is your name?" she snarled.

"What…?"

"Tell me what the hell your name is!"

"C-Cosmo. Cosmo Samhouri."

"Is this the truth?" Sita's grip was vise-like, and it tightened further.

"What…? Yes!"

"Are you lying?"

"L-lying?"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" She smacked him a final time; Cosmo's eyes rolled into his head, and she let him crumple to the ground.

"Don't kill the child!" came a small voice. "If he says his name is Cosmo, it must be Cosmo! And don't blame him… this one is the cause of all your misfortunes!"

All eyes turned to the one who had spoken, the intruder. She wasn't much, just some puny Faya wrapped head to toe in a blanket.

"This one didn't mean to cause so much trouble!" she whispered, on the brink of crying. "Celene doesn't even know how she got here!"

"Celene? Who?" snarled Mnemosyne, snatching her and binding her up with her cloak.

To the best of her abilities, the Faya pointed to herself.

"This one is Celene. And this one will take any punishment you may give her."

Sita sighed, and waved her arms, trying to get everyone to calm down.

"I suppose that this commotion won't get us anywhere. Half of you take this woman and question her, and half of you look for Wanda. I'll see to Cosmo."

Wordlessly, the group scattered, and Sita dragged Cosmo back to the meeting area. If she'd looked a bit more, she would have noticed a tawny feather that hadn't been there before in his place.

Cosmo hadn't stirred much since that final punch, and she began to worry. Sita poured some water on his head; he fretted a bit, then returned to his unconscious state.

"Is it really you?" she muttered. "You weren't supposed to Awaken quite yet."

She didn't expect to hear a reply, then…

Although his eyes were still closed, Cosmo's lips parted into a smirk.

"Ah, it wasn't of my doing," he replied quietly. His voice was of a lower key, and he gave a sarcastic and almost sadistic laugh. "The boy Awoke himself. How could I control such a thing?"

Sita's lips pursed. "Christopher…" she hissed.

Another laugh.

"But perhaps it's not so unfortunate after all. S.I.T.A., this dream is about to end. And you know it."

"What do you mean…?"

But before she could get a reply out of this different-Cosmo, shouts were heard, and the search party came back with a frazzled yet alive Wanda in their midst.

"Cosmo!" she cried, loping to his unconscious form. "Idiot! Wake up and apologize, idiot, and then everything'll be okay!"

She slapped him around a bit; Cosmo shifted, and opened his eyes slightly.

"Wanda…"

"You know I wasn't going to actually kill her, right?"

"Wanda…"

"You know I could stop myself in midflight before I hit the ground, right?"

"Wanda…"

"Cosmo, what in the seven heavens is wrong with you today?"

"Wanda." Cosmo gripped the folds of her shirt, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm sorry… It wasn't my fault. The Other Me told me to push you off that cliff." Now he was crying, an adult man turned baby in the midst of catastrophic events.

"Wanda… HELP ME!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Out of the blue, a wild Rin appears! What has she been doing in her month of inactivity? ****Procrastinating... Er, t****rying her hardest to complete her schoolwork. Thank you for reviewing, unknown20troper, OddAuthor, and CursedRoses. Your feedback means a lot to me. This is a Juandissimo 'n Co. chapter, so I'll be updating in the next week again. And if I don't, I swear I will slap myself with a fish.**

**CursedRoses: I dunno… the use of your codename might have **_**a little bit**_** to do with the plot. Just a little. C:**

Chapter 14

Darkness is a strong, strong word. Yet, the bumbling masses use it extensively, not knowing the real meaning behind it. "Mother, I'm afraid of the dark". "It's getting dark out".

Perhaps another usage of the word, much limited to Konnetsiga circles, was the web of magic the Faya created long years ago. Although, it wasn't so far off from the mark of what Darkness really was.

Darkness. Noun. Definition: A feeling of emptiness within one's self, the beginning of shutting down into nothing.

Darkness. Noun. Definition: A product of Fayan sins, a means to control the human population for themselves, and therefore corrupting them.

Ren Samhouri could say that he was well acquainted with the former. All his life, shoved in the shadows by his brother! From the time he was a little child, shoved away by his father… all because the man wanted to experiment on him! All because young Cosmo was a prodigy! Was he not worthy of his attention?

It was a strange and twisted way that he had wanted to be noticed, but his father was obsessed with his work. If he could prove a decent subject, then that was the only way he could spend time with him.

Then he was taken away to train in the pre-ASALUM program. Of course, the genetic work of Packleader Indigo had a few years to be established, so they were a mere fighting group, established to protect the Faya, not round them up and kill them. He tried his very hardest… but father… father was still focused on Cosmo! He hadn't even seen him in years!

Years later, he ran into the boy again. Imagine his joy when he found out that he was but a mere idiot! He stepped in to take Cosmo's place in father's research, but his usefulness was outdated…

And here he was.

Ren shook his head, pausing to take in his surroundings. The Institute really was a sordid place, infested with shadows and bad feelings. A few successful experiments that Fiona had been working on ran rampart throughout the place. He brushed a razor-toothed, one-eyed deer… thing out of the way, kicking it away from the food he clasped in his quavering hands.

That Jaundissimo guy better be glad that he and Fenn and Ras were hiding him! Of course, it was not out of Ras's kind heart that she was doing such a deed—the ASALUM had a tendency not to communicate with one another, and although the Director CLEARLY stated that they were not to touch Cosmo and Wanda, that they were essential to completing the Final Operation, some of them wanted to attack them anyway. Having a prisoner, an ex-traitor running loose would be enough to preoccupy them. He supposed he was on Ras's side… about Fenn, he wasn't so sure.

She said that she knew Juandissimo from the days before the Revolution, when Fayotozhia was the primary base for fairies to live. If her need to protect him was motivated by her own selfish desires, why hadn't she yet exploded?

Every ASALUM was implanted with a chip that sensed lies, betrayal. When the lie was huge enough, it raised their blood pressure so that they exploded from the inside out. Could it be that her chip was defective? Or had she never had a chip implanted in her at all?

What made her so special?

Ren clenched his teeth, briefly forgetting about the bag lunch he was carrying and fingering the revolver in his back pocket. Although undergoing the ASALUM operation came with many benefits, one of its drawbacks was that it hindered the magical ability of the receiver. So, Ren learned to fight with a gun, and he was mighty quick with it, too.

The deer thing was following him, a fresh line of slobbery spit trailing behind it. Ren cursed, and wheeled around, drawing his weapon.

Heh.

It wasn't worth it.

It was just another of Fiona's stupid pets. Scientists with all their book learnin' annoyed him.

He didn't hesitate to rush into the main hall, sealing the synthetic animal behind him. Ren was already late with the food; Fenn would be waiting for him. The things he did for the Director's work…!

"Ren, my boy!"

Speaking of the Director… he was approaching him. Matted green hair in loose, greasy clumps, eyes frosted over with the gaze of near insanity, lab coat stained with unidentifiable materials—that was he. How unusual it was of him to make an appearance from his office!

How inconsiderate of him, more like it.

Ren didn't like him much… no one here really did. Leaving the small squadron of Secret Police to do his dirty work for years on end, squandered away in his office to play with his toy… a woman. A fairy woman. He'd heard rumors that he kept her in a cage and only used her on special occasions. This was one of them. She was deployed in Tibet somewhere, on some mountain.

And now he was rearing his ugly head.

To make things even better, Nero was crouching behind him, heeled by Miasma. The grey-haired Faya of middle age was holding a vial. Ren jolly well knew what was inside it. The virus… the one that they would be leashing upon mankind. For years, researchers were trying to find how they could successfully encode it one human DNA, and finally, they succeeded. This was the finished product. They'd tack it onto the human girl they captured a few months back and use her as they agent to spread it. Although it was not fatal, it would severely impair human intelligence, making it easy for fairies to control them and have them do their bidding. And when this virus would be considered an epidemic, they would release the Darkness.

Hmm… everyone seemed to treat it as though it were human, or anything special. In a way, it did have a soul. A product of the imagination, born of the sins of the earth… the manifestation of all evils. They say that it comes in the form of a cloud. When the time comes that everyone destroys them, it descends and swallows them up.

It was a weird thing, this Darkness. The health of the earth was closely monitored by other Faya, living on stations near the stars to help contain it until the time came for it to be released. Even robot companions called Eliminators, designed to assist the Faya in their ultimate mission and silence all those who dare to challenge them, were created.

The Director had thought this one out well. After all, it was his life's work. His life's crazed and wasteful work.

The Director turned to Ren and gave him a smile, canines flashing.

"We're almost ready to begin the Final Operation…" he whispered. "Fiona has succeeded at creating stronger bodies for us. Tonight, we will begin getting rid of our weak, Fayan forms… Are the gas chambers ready, Nero?"

"Ready," replied the cruel fairy. He was holding his temples—was he having another headache? Nero seemed to get them way too much.

Ren froze. So this was it. This was it…

"Aren't you happy, Ren? Aren't you? Isn't this a joyous occasion?"

Ren stared into the Director's eyes. His eyes flashed to the reflection of himself he saw in his mirror. Director, him, Director, him… It all blurred together.

And then he couldn't tell who was who…

**A/N: LOL, another infodump chapter. I swear this isn't some messed up version of Wishology… or is it? Muahahahah! Feel free to point out any Wishology-related errors I've made. I've only seen part three. What will the next installment of **_**A Taste of Freedom **_**bring? I don't know! Until next time, adieu.**


	15. Chapter 15

**So I went on over to the local fish market, bought a fresh herring, and slapped myself. Time for more involvement. This story's about to get a whole lot more… err, twisty, and, uh, weird. I PROMISE THAT THIS CHAPTER IS NOT JUST FILLER…! And I just remembered. I don't think I've ever written the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: FOP doesn't belong to me. Basic concepts are the property of Butch Hartman. Story, overly large cast of OCs, and other concepts belong to Rin Fang. Sooo… yeah.**

Chapter 15

The world wasn't always so cold.

Cosmo, future head of Samhouri clan, pulled his blanket around him more tightly. Eyes wide as saucers, his breath rose in cadence to the flickering shadows on the cavern walls, the howling of the wind outside.

Despite his crying, nobody in the Greater Band but Sita and Wanda were around him. The little fairy was as white as a ghost… he stared blankly into the beyond, watching the swirls and curls of blizzard snow outside. Always a blizzard. Never sunshine. Never happiness. Never hope.

Cosmo grabbed onto the folds of Wanda's shirt, hyperventilating.

"At first," he muttered, muscles tensing and releasing in quivering motions, "At first they came only as dreams, you know? But then the dreams started to become reality, and reality started to become the dreams…"

"What are you talking about?" Wanda's voice slurred with worry. "What dreams?"

Cosmo's tears briefly stopped coming, and a shudder overtook his body.

"What do you mean, Wanda? They aren't dreams anymore… they're real!"

Sita, who'd been quiet up until now, drew a deep breath and scowled, pushing Wanda out of the way.

"And what is this reality of yours? We can't help you unless you specify!"

"Specify what?" Cosmo turned over onto his side, losing Wanda and instead taking a threadbare blanket into his arms. "I thought that you would know, Sita."

Wanda looked confused, and her eyes darted back and forth. Still, nobody took notice. Nobody cared, except for maybe a certain Anti-Fairy who glanced his way back to their corner and met Wanda's gaze, promptly retreating. Sita, on the other hand, released her breath in a great gush of air, and reproached him.

"Heh, not only are you dumb, but you're also stubborn. Just describe to me what's happening to you."

At last, Cosmo seemed to get the idea, and he calmed down a bit, twiddling his thumbs and avoiding contact with her, as though unsure whether he could trust her or not. He must've decided that he could, for he lowered his voice, eyelids flickering.

"I guess I'd been having the dreams for awhile," he began, flinching at the awkward silence that ensued. "I mean, for a year, I guess, but they didn't seem to matter to me until the start of… what was it…? … Oh, 'Operation Good Day' not too long ago. At first, the dreams were nice. I dreamed about a world of humans, but they weren't exactly humans… they could use magic. I mean, not how we used it, exactly, but theirs was just as good as ours. I… I can't explain it. I was on the Earth, but it wasn't the Earth that we know of. There were different buildings, and plants, and wildlife. And I lived in a palace with Wanda, but we weren't married, and she wasn't Wanda, and I wasn't Cosmo, but we were who we were at the same time."

Cosmo paused, and Wanda flinched, still trying to interpret his words. After much thought, she gave up, and returned to quietly listening.

"Wanda was Jacqueline… but she was still Wanda. But then the dreams grew unpleasant. Everyone started hating one another, and then everything was up in flames. And after that nightmare I began dreaming about different things. There was a laboratory, and the world outside was dying. There were scientists who treated us cruelly, except for one, and there were experiments, that looked like angels. But they were far from being angels… Every time I visited the lab, I would run into Wanda again, except she was Jacqueline, and we hated each other. Eventually, I just started thinking of Wanda as Jacqueline, and the line between unconsciousness and reality dissolved."

"That's a pretty fancy sentence for you," piped up Wanda, raising her eyebrow. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about…? Although, the name 'Jacqueline' seems familiar…"

"Everything just became muddled up, and sometimes I would even forget your name, Wanda. I would blank out."

Sita frowned.

"Sometimes I would think about jumping you and killing you. And now, I feel like I'm being watched. I feel like I've died before for some reason… and I don't know why! Now everything is confusing, and it hurts!"

"Cosmo, what in the…?"

Sita cut her off, and raised an eyebrow at Cosmo. She seemed unfazed with his nonsensical story, and only rocked back and forth, back and forth, digesting all the details.

"I see. Now tell me: what is your name?"

"Christopher…" Cosmo just about choked on his sentence, and he clapped a palm to his mouth as he realized what he just said. "I mean, Cosmo, but Cosmo is Christopher, and…" He began to choke up again, and Wanda promptly fluttered in to comfort. "Cosmo… is… confused. Am I going crazy? Am I?"

"No crazier than the rest of us. And you know, sometimes the crazy ones show greater understanding of the world than the 'sane'." Sita yawned.

Wanda flinched a bit. She respected the leader of the Greater Band enough, but she could grow aggravated at how she never seemed shaken up about anything. What annoyed her further was that she couldn't keep up with this conversation at all, and Sita was listening as though she were some expert on whatever depersonalization or whatever Cosmo was experiencing.

"Cosmo… just hasn't felt like himself lately. I get headaches, and it seems I'm growing dumber."

"Growing dumber?" Sita bit her lip, only drawing away when she tasted blood. "That's not supposed to happen."

"Can anyone explain…?"

"Shut up, Wanda. You'll be getting your due soon enough."

Sita pushed the pink-haired Faya aside (Cosmo and Wanda had long since washed out the dye in their hair from when they were fleeing Fairyworld), and picked Cosmo up by the scruff of his neck, wiping away a few excess tears and studying him with great interest.

"Nothing else you've mentioned is _that_ abnormal, but the bits about you blanking out and 'growing dumber' are. Do you mind if I give you a little examination to help find out what's wrong? Wanda?"

"What kind of examination?" she sputtered before Cosmo could offer his consent. Sita chuckled.

"Just a scan. Going to take pictures of his brain and all. It won't hurt him, and he'll be out in an hour or so."

"Brain imaging…? Is that necessary? But if it is, let Cosmo be the one to judge if he needs it or not."

"I guess I should," he piped up, but was soon cut off.

"Good! Mnemosyne!" hollered Sita to the fire imp across the room. "Come with me! We're going to take the Faya 'backstage'. Maybe you'd like to keep Wanda company while I'm busy?"

Wanda narrowed her eyes. If it was Cosmo, it was for the best, but she didn't like where this was going. But it WAS awfully strange, though. As though the little clogs in her memory clock were beginning to turn and mesh together again, she remembered the time when she was no more than a teenager, studying for that prestigious new scientific program away from Fayotozhia. Back then, "Fairyworld" was an entirely new concept, an excursion spot for students to pursue their more advanced dreams on their own. Wanda remembered a smarter Cosmo, a Cosmo she respected more. He was clumsy and childish and sub-par at magic as ever, but he was different.

Although she didn't want to admit it, something was definitely up with his growing dimmer with the years.

And she bet she knew why.

Wanda's train of thought was cut off as Mnemosyne whisked her off to the back of the cave, where Sita and Cosmo were already situated. What was this "backstage" she was talking about? It looked like any other wall of rock to her, and… wait. Wait a minute. Squinting, Wanda made out the silhouette of a metal door, seemingly carved into the crevices.

Sita took a long breath, and raised her hand, pressing what looked like a scanner on the door. There was a beeping sound, and shaking the surrounding area a bit, the ancient entryway struggled and succeeded in opening.

"Come on," she grunted.

The door slid closed behind them as they entered what appeared to be a large cavern. More beeps echoed throughout it, and suddenly several lights began to flicker on. Soon they were swathed in it, and no longer was the place a cavern.

Cosmo tensed. A laboratory…? But this one didn't look like the one in his "dreams", the one he was born in. This place was all too familiar, though. All too familiar. The whole thing looked less like a lab than a gigantic motherboard surrounding them all. Only the rooms, guarded by those iron doors like on the entrance, affirmed that it was some sort of research center. The whole place was deathly quiet, and cold, and all around unsettling.

"Well, Cosmo, shall we get going?" asked Sita, unexpectedly putting on a smile and winking.

"Uh… sure."

"And Mnemosyne," she continued under her breath as she led him away, "make sure that Wanda doesn't go anywhere off-limits."

And with that, they disappeared down the halls and were swallowed in darkness.

Wanda and Mnemosyne stared at each other for some time in complete silence. It was apparent that the fire imp felt uncomfortable around the Faya. After a considerable amount of awkwardness, Wanda broke the quiet with light conversation.

"So… where are the off-limits places?"

Mnemosyne blinked, as though she were only realizing Wanda's presence for the first time.

"Pretty much every room except thissun'," she muttered.

"Oh?" Wanda spread her wings and floated on over to a random door. "So you mean that despite the fact that no room here has probably been used in years and there's probably nothing in them, we still can't go in?"

"Affirmative."

"Why not?"

"Dunno."

"How old is this place, anyway?"

A strand of Mnemosyne's hair flared up with frustration, and it cost her a great amount of comfort to extinguish it with her fingers.

"God… Look, I don't have all the answers! I just guard this place! Okay?"

"… Okay! I wasn't meaning to break in! I was just curious!"

Wanda made her way over to a random door, brushing her hand against it.

"It's not like I could break in here, anyway."

"_**BARCODE RECOGNITION CORRECT."**_

Huh?

Both Wanda's and Mnemosyne's eyes widened simultaneously as what looked like the same scanner used to get into the lab lit up. A luminescent beam, colored an icy blue, panned its way from the scanner to her eye, hovering on it for a few seconds. A light on the door flashed green, and then it was opening…

"Barcode?" Wanda touched her eye. "There's no barcode on my… What's with this place? Why are we here? What are Sita and Cosmo communicating about? Why is there a lab in the holy land… and why… why can I access this room?"

Wanda moved forward through the doorway; Mnemosyne gasped, pulling forward.

"W-Wanda! You're not allowed to go in there!"

The pink-haired woman whirled around and narrowed her eyes, scowling.

"I'll be out in like, five seconds! I'm just curious!"

She wasn't sure what compelled her to enter the room, but when she did, more overhead lights jolted from their slumber and shone down upon what looked like an extremely huge stadium. Wanda's breath ran short, and stopped altogether as she beheld yet another mystery that the mountain held.

Pods. Over seven hundred of them, casket-like and lined up in neat rows in the room. They were all connected to what looked like a massive freezer, distributing dry cold throughout them.

This was… unexpected. Wanda, unsure of why she just didn't back out of the room, kept moving forward, looking down into the first pod she saw. It had a glass lid, and through it, she beheld a black-haired woman with angelic wings, clad in a grey dress and resting serenely, caught in the dry ice, the streams of time. She looked… familiar, and she couldn't tell why.

That's when it hit her.

This woman had her _exact same face_.

For some reason or another, she wasn't surprised, but Mnemosyne's blood-curdling shriek was.

"H-How horrible! Let's get out of here, W-Wanda!"

The white-haired _konnetsiga_, or magical creature, was standing right above her, trembling as though she'd just seen a massacre.

"Huh? What's wrong…?"

"Don't you see them?" she squealed, moving back a few steps. "Skeletons… all skeletons… in these pods…!"

"What… I don't see any skeletons…"

"I thought I told you not to go off-limits."

The two whirled around. Sita was presiding over them, arms folded, eyes blazing.

"Mnemosyne… Wanda… you shouldn't have seen this."

The duo moved closer to one another, huddling in fear.

"I wish you didn't see this. Now I suppose that I have to punish both of you. But… we can only get to that later. Right now, we have to talk about Cosmo's results."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she waved what looked like an X-Ray photo in her hand.

"And believe me, they aren't pretty."


End file.
